Silver Alert (original) (raw)

A Silver Alert is a public notification system in the United States to broadcast information about missing persons – especially senior citizens with Alzheimer's disease, dementia, or other mental disabilities – in order to aid in locating them. Supporters of Silver Alert point to the United States growing elderly population as a reason to support new programs to locate missing seniors. Approximately six in ten dementia victims will wander off at least once. If not found within 24 hours, up to half of wandering seniors with dementia suffer serious injury or death.