Margaret Barnett knows firsthand the benefit of having law enforcement officers looking out for elderly adults.
She said one of her neighbors in Hattiesburg wandered off and into the center of town, confused by where and who he was. Luckily a police officer recognized the man, called his wife and he was returned home without harm.
Not all people suffering from cognitive impairment are so lucky.
Having officers on the lookout for an elderly person or someone with dementia or other cognitive impairment who goes missing is the idea behind a bill that has been sent to Gov. Haley Barbour.
The bill would set up a Silver Alert system similar to the state's Amber Alert, which notifies law enforcement officers and the public when a child is missing.
After a family member or caretaker reports the person missing, law enforcement agencies will be able to request a Silver Alert activation. The Department of Public Safety's Bureau of Investigation will then activate the alert.
The alert will use the existing Amber Alert infrastructure.
"I think it's a wonderful idea," Barnett said Thursday as she visited the Capitol. "I'm all for it."
The House passed the final version of the bill Thursday after the Senate passed it last week. The bill now goes to the governor, who is expected to sign it.
"Any Mississippian with an elderly relative or family member with a cognitive disorder can appreciate the intent of this legislation — that is, to see the person is returned safe and sound," Barbour spokesman Dan Turner said.
Currently, family members must wait at least 24 hours before an adult can be reported as a missing person. That period of time can be too long for an elderly adult exposed to the extreme weather conditions, according to Virginia Cora with the Mississippi Nurses Association, which pushed for the legislation.
Earlier this year in Hancock County, the body of an 81-year-old Alzheimer's patient was found in a canal just 15 hours after he had been reported missing.
According to the AARP, six in 10 people with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia will wander away at some point.
The bill has the backing of the state Alzheimer's association, sheriffs' association and a number of health care organizations.
About 25 states have similar systems, including Mississippi's bordering states of Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana and Alabama.
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The bill is House Bill 664.
