Richard Moore

The Massachusetts Assisted Living Facilities Association is advocating expanding the availability of the state’s Silver Alert program to every community that has at least one assisted living residence.

Known as the Amber Alert for senior citizens, Silver Alert functions as a public notification system to broadcast information about missing persons — especially older adults who have with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or other cognitive disabilities — to aid in their safe return.

“Keeping our older adult residents safe is our top priority, and expanding the Silver Alert program is one more step we can take on behalf of these seniors and their families,” said Richard T. Moore, Mass-ALFA president and former Massachusetts Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Healthcare Financing. “We consider it a priority to ensure that each and every city or town that hosts an assisted living community has this vital and potentially life-saving service available.”

Currently, according to Mass-ALFA, only a small number of communities in the state use Silver Alert. Mass-ALFA is currently working in conjunction with the Executive Office of Public Safety, the Massachusetts Alzheimer’s Association, the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, the Office of Protective Services, the Massachusetts Association of Councils on Aging, the 9-1-1 System and the Massachusetts Association of Chiefs of Police to further implement the program.