New Silver Alert program to help find missing seniors FL.
New Silver Alert program to help find missing seniors BY ROBERT SAMUELS rsamuels@miamiherald.com Gov. Charlie Crist signed an executive order Wednesday establishing a program to help find missing senior citizens. Modeled after the Amber Alert program for missing youngsters, the new Silver Alert program will send messages to news media outlets when a person over age 60 with mental impairments cannot be found. Similar programs are used in 10 states, including Georgia and North Carolina. If the incident involves a vehicle, messages to help find the missing person will be flashed on highway signs. ''The plan that Florida has ensures a prompt and comprehensive response while still ensuring leverage and dignity,'' said Heather Smith, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. ``We think it could save lives.'' Of Florida's 4.3 million residents over the age of 60, about 500,000 may suffer from Alzheimer's, the governor's office said. About 1,800 senior citizens -- not all with cognitive impairments -- were reported missing in 2007, according to FDLE. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/breaking-news/story/718688.html