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Friday, October 19, 2012

Finding Wanderers

As previous posts have indicated, wandering can be a big problem for some people on the spectrum. AP reports:
Based in Florida, Project Lifesaver is a charitable organization that provides training and equipment to find people with cognitive disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, dementia and autism.
People enrolled in Project Lifesaver are outfitted with a personal transmitter bracelet that is placed on their wrist or ankle. The bracelet emits a tracking signal that emergency workers can use to find the person if he or she wanders away or goes missing.
The Pilot Club of Lancaster is helping to bring the program to Lancaster County.
With the help of a $5,000 bequest and a lot of fundraising, the 30-person club is providing more than $10,000 to kick-start the program here by providing equipment and training, said Cathy Cieslinski, a club member.
"We feel it could make a difference in families' and caregivers' lives," she said.
The cost of outfitting a person with the tracking bracelet and batteries is about $300 and covers them for a year.
After that, the fee is about $10 a month. The club will work to help families who cannot afford the service, she said.