Project Lifesaver
by Chief Armand P. LaBarge, York Regional Police

Disclaimer:
The views expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Justice Canada.

Project Lifesaver is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping caregivers with the challenges of finding loved ones who are prone to wandering or bolting away Project Lifesaver works with individuals who have Alzheimer's disease, dementia, autism or Down syndrome, as well as other intellectual impairments that affect an individual's ability to protect themselves.

Project Lifesaver saves lives and further serves the community by significantly reducing the need for extensive search and rescue operations that are often extremely costly in both human and financial terms. A radio transmitter wrist band is worn by clients enrolled in the program. It is operated by a one-ounce battery that emits a unique automatic tracking signal every second, 24 hours a day.

In September 2008, York Regional Police expanded and made Project Lifesaver a permanent program following a pilot project in 2006. Equipment was purchased to allow for the expansion of the program to forty participants. To-date, it has served 39 individuals prior to their retirement from the program into long-term care facilities.

Project Lifesaver is only one of the tools used to assist caregivers with the care of loved ones who are prone to wandering. A York Regional Police Victim's Assistance Officer can provide support in terms of reduction strategies to prevent the person from wandering to begin with and also recommend outside community partners who can assist and provide additional support to families.

The Program's Response to the Community's Needs

Project Lifesaver is primarily a program to assist in the recovery of lost, vulnerable persons before they fall into harm's way. Project Lifesaver is also a valuable search and rescue tool that can reduce the search time and search costs for emergency responders.

Basic search and rescue techniques are still applied in any lost person search; however, when the subject of the search is a Project Lifesaver participant, then an additional tool is available to help recover the person in a timely manner.

With aging demographics in York Region and the increasing number of vulnerable persons with diseases such as Alzheimer's and autism, York Regional Police decided to be pro-active in assisting the families and caregivers to care for their loved ones at home.

Program Delivery

York Region's Project Lifesaver is coordinated by a Victim's Assistance Police Officer. The police are assisted by a strong brigade of volunteers who are responsible for the monthly maintenance and testing of participants' wristbands.

Community partners, such as the Alzheimer's Society, Autism Society and Down Syndrome Society, communicate with York Regional Police to refer clients. Through the development and implementation of Project Lifesaver, York Regional Police has been able to develop strong community partnerships. With our partners, we have also provided training opportunities to all emergency services personnel to best deal with individuals who have intellectual impairments.

Success and Challenges of the Program

As the program grows, so do the day to day tasks that go with it. However, this is not a challenge that will hold Project Lifesaver from achieving its goal of serving York Region's most vulnerable people. The program also provides peace of mind to the caregivers of these individuals who are at greater risk of falling into harm's way.

Fortunately we have only had one participant go missing who was located quickly by traditional search methods. Unexpected successes of the program have resulted from the process of becoming a Project Lifesaver participant: police are able to work with clients on home design for safety, as well link families to community support groups.

Results

The families and caregivers who are involved with Project Lifesaver are grateful for the program, as it is another tool at their disposal for taking care of their loved ones at home. We look forward to expanding our program to more participants in the future.

Inquiries about this program should be directed to:

• S/Sgt Shelley Rogers #625
  York Regional Police
  Community Services
  Telephone: (905) 895-1221 x 6707
  E-mail: 625@yrp.ca