St. Mary’s County citizens are invited to Greenwell State Park, Hollywood, for a demonstration of Project Lifesaver on Jan. 25, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Project Lifesaver was established in Chesapeake, Virginia, in 1999, in response to the growing concern regarding elderly residents who suffer from Alzheimer’s/dementia and are prone to wander. Clients wear a watch-sized transmitter, and should they leave home and become disoriented, trained personnel are called in with tracking receivers to locate them. Current success rate is 100%, with an average location time of 22 minutes.
In 2005, the Office of the Sheriff of St. Mary’s County initiated Project Lifesaver for our residents. Through the generous support of the local community, service organizations and businesses, the program has provided training and equipment, and has enrolled our first clients with no cost to the families and caregivers. It speaks to the generosity and benevolence of our County that the Project Lifesaver has been made available to our citizens to assure peace of mind to Alzheimer’s caregivers.
On Jan. 25, the members of the K-9 Unit will partner with the Maryland State Police Aviation Division to train with the Project Lifesaver Equipment. This training will assure that, in the future, should a ground search prove unsuccessful for a client who wanders; the rescue mission can be taken airborne.
Project Lifesaver in St. Mary’s County has been totally sustained by the caring and giving spirit of private citizens and community and business organizations. On Jan. 25, Project Lifesaver of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office will kick-off an annual campaign to seek continued funding to support this most worthy initiative at no cost to families, caregivers and clients.
Contact the Sheriff’s Office for information on how to send tax-deductible donations for the program.