State Grant Will Fund A Pilot Program In Orange County, FL

Florida State Senator Linda Stewart has announced that a state grant valued at $75,000 has been secured for a pilot program to use drones to keep tabs on adults with Alzheimer's disease.

The Orlando Sentinel reports that Sen. Stewart made the announcement at a news conference with Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings, whose mother-in-law passed away due to complications from Alzheimer's a few years ago.

Demings said that his mother-in-law went missing several times during the latter stages of her illness. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office devoted considerable time and resources towards efforts to find her.

Stewart shepherded the bill through the Florida state legislature. "This technology will help find people much faster than by foot, by car, even a motorcycle,” she said.

The technology to be evaluated during the pilot program was developed by Project Lifesaver. The company will provide wearable tracking devices for persons with cognitive disorders, which cost $325. The county will make exceptions for families that cannot afford the device. The grant money will go towards purchasing a drone and training two deputies to operate the aircraft.

Stewart said that the devices and the aircraft will allow persons who may wander away from their homes to be found almost immediately, rather than having police roam around in their cars looking for the person in question.

(Image from file)

FMI: Source report, projectlifesaver.org