Utah’s Silver Alert program, designed to help locate older adults with dementia who are missing, was signed into law by Gov. Gary Herbert on March 21 and is expected to go into effect later this year.
HB215 passed unanimously in the state House and Senate, according to the Deseret News.
Thirty-nine states have similar programs, Jeremy Cunningham, director of public policy for the Utah chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, told the media outlet. Utah’s program is uncommon, however, because it will begin with local alerts through reverse 911 calls and by contacting local officials and members of the media, he said. That should keep the cost down, Cunningham added.
But if an older adult is thought to have used a car or other transportation, the alert will appear on highway message boards. Authorities also will be able to send an alert if they find someone and are trying to contact a family member or caregiver.
