TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Today is the seven year anniversary of Florida’s Silver Alert program.  Since the program’s inception in 2008, 1,134 Silver Alerts have been issued and Florida’s Silver Alert program has been directly responsible for 110 recoveries.
 
Silver Alerts are activated statewide at the request of local law enforcement after a senior with Alzheimer's or related dementia goes missing in a car. Once a Silver Alert is issued, information about the missing senior is communicated through  a local BOLO, media outlets, lottery terminals and highway message signs.
 
“The Silver Alert Program works for a reason,” said FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearingen. “The citizens of Florida care about one another and when a member of the community is missing, active participation is key to finding them and bringing them home.”
 
“As the number of Floridians affected by Alzheimer’s disease and dementia continues to rise, it is important that we highlight important programs like Silver Alert and the role they play in ensuring the safety of our loved ones affected by dementia,” said Department of Elder Affairs Secretary Samuel P. Verghese. “We are proud of this program’s success and of the commitment of all of our partners to safely bring home missing elders.”
 
Missing persons 60 years of age and older who have irreversible deterioration of intellectual faculties such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia are eligible for Silver Alert activation.
 
With over 4.8 million residents age 60 and older, the Department of Elder Affairs estimates that more than 510,000 individuals in Florida are living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Through coordinated state and local efforts, Florida’s Silver Alert Program has gained the reputation of being an effective and necessary tool that has encouraged communities to participate in locating our missing elders.
 
Once the person has been recovered, the Department of Elder Affairs, in coordination with the Area Agencies on Aging and Florida’s Memory Disorder Clinics, work to provide follow-up assistance to the senior.
 
Citizens can sign-up to receive Silver Alerts via email at www.floridasilveralert.com.   
 
For Further Information Contact:
Gretl Plessinger, Molly Best or Steve Arthur
FDLE Office of Public Information
(850) 410-7001
 
Ashley Chambers
DOEA Press Office
(850) 414-2142