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Friday, June 17, 2011

New York Lawmakers pass bill to help missing elderly : June 17 2011

Associated Press
ALBANY, N.Y. — Missing vulnerable adults such as people with Alzheimer's Disease will get some help under legislation passed by the state Assembly and Senate and sent on to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The "Gold Alert" bill creates a system to help authorities get proper notifications, coordinate resources, and investigate when people with dementia and other disabilities go missing. It would use the "Amber Alert" infrastructure that's already in place to quickly disseminate information about missing children.

Supporters say it would help immensely in cases such as the 2007 disappearance of a Syracuse woman with Alzheimer's who left home in the middle of the night and traveled to her former home in Connecticut.

New York would join several other states, including Illinois, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Texas, that have this type of system.

—Copyright 2011 Associated Press

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