Suffolk sheriff pushes tracker for people with dementia, Alzheimer's

<p>The Suffolk County Sheriff's Department is raising awareness about a program to help families track down missing relatives with dementia or Alzheimer's disease.</p>

News 12 Staff

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Aug 9, 2018, 11:43 PM

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Updated 2,311 days ago

The Suffolk County Sheriff's Department is raising awareness about a program to help families track down missing relatives with dementia or Alzheimer's disease.

Project Lifesaver provides radio bracelets to people with cognitive impairments so that sheriff's officers can locate them.

"We've been able to locate individuals within 15 minutes after it was reported to us," says Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr.

Toulon says the program began 10 years ago.

Gail Storm, of the Long Island Alzheimer's Foundation, says it's a good idea.

"Particularly for people with dementia," she says. "It's really important to know where they are and track them the minute you discover that they are lost."

Something like that could have helped authorities find 74-year-old John Wile, who died after he wandered out of his Stony Brook home.

Families who would like to participate in Project Lifesaver can fill out an application at the sheriff's office. The device costs $300.