UW working on dementia search and rescue project
The federal government has announced over $2 million in funding for a search and rescue project to keep those suffering with dementia safe.
The project is being led by Lili Liu, who is a public health researcher and Dean of the Faculty of Health at the University of Waterloo.
It's estimated 60 per cent of people living with dementia go missing at least once, with some getting lost repeatedly.
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“The increasing number of Canadians living with dementia at risk of going missing is a public health concern,” Liu explained in a news release. “We will build on existing expertise and partnerships to scale up strategies that enhance training, improve data collection, coordinate community resources and prevent repeat missing incidents.”
The project will help build capacity within the search and rescue community with care partners to work with those with dementia.
Liu added that if a missing person with Alzheimer’s disease is not found within 24 hours, there is a 50 per cent chance that they will be found injured or dead from hypothermia, dehydration or drowning, making any search an emergency.
