Officials launch Project Safe and Sound

Effort creates emergency response system for cognitively impaired

groton » To help residents with family members suffering from cognitive impairment, three local departments have collaborated to create an emergency assistance system.

The Council on Aging, Police Department and Fire Department have launched Project Safe and Sound.

The collaboration is meant to establish a secure database of vital information for the two emergency departments to help protect residents at risk for wandering. According to town officials, more than 60% of people with Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder will wander and about six in 10 of those with dementia will wander at least once.

If those who wander are not found within 24 hours, up to half of wandering seniors with dementia suffer serious injury or death.

Though a national issue, wandering does not appear to be a growing problem in town. Police Detective Pat Timmons, who is the department’s liaison to the Council on Aging, said the collaborative effort is one of preparation in case of future incidents of wandering.

“Wandering is not a problem here more than it is in any other town,” Timmons said. “This is not a reactive approach, we’re just trying to get ahead of the issue in case someone goes wandering or missing.”

Kathy Shelp, director of the Council on Aging, said talks for the project started in January 2020 and were inspired by the Dementia Friendly Massachusetts movement started by the state Council on Aging. The project would’ve launched sooner, but was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“There were programs similar to this that we found very patronizing,” Shelp said. “We wanted to change the name and stress that it’s open to anyone of