Auburn Project Lifesaver
Natasha Stevens, Health Education Program Coordinator II Placer County Healthy Brain Initiative Placer County HHS | Public Health
In partnership with the Placer County Healthy Brain Initiative, Auburn Police Department is excited to announce that they have recently implemented Project Lifesaver to better support residents living with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias and their care partners. This effort is a part of a collaborative effort to increase community supports to create dementia-friendly communities within Placer County.
Alzheimer’s is a progressive brain disorder that damages and eventually destroys brain cells, leading to a loss of memory, thinking, and other brain functions. It is common for a person living with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia to wander, become lost, or confused about their location. Wandering can occur at any stage of the disease, and six in 10 people living with dementia will wander at least once, and many do so repeatedly. While it is common, wandering can be dangerous, even life-threatening, and the stress of this risk weighs heavily on caregivers and family.
Project Lifesaver is the premier search and rescue program that will be operated by Auburn Police Department. The program is designed for “at risk” individuals prone to wandering and strategically combines state of the art locating technologies, innovative search and rescue methods, and community policing courses that educate first responders about cognitive disorders. Search times for certified Project Lifesaver agencies have been reduced from hours, potentially days, down to minutes. Recovery times utilizing this technology average about 30 minutes, which is 95% less time that standard operations without Project Lifesaver.
This program will be provided at no cost for those living in Auburn. Qualifying residents will be fitted with a bracelet that will allow law enforcement to quickly locate them should they become lost.
To learn more about the program, or to enroll a loved one, please visit the Auburn Police Department website.
To learn more about the Placer County Healthy Brain Initiative or Placer County resources to support those living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, visit: https://www.placer.ca.gov/7199/Placer-County-Healthy-Brain-Initiative.
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