By Taylor Boyd
The Patrick County Sheriff’s Office and the Patrick County Alzheimer’s Group LLC are working on a grant and other projects to buy Life Support Bracelets.
Patrick County Sheriff Dan Smith said Deputy Roger Bell recently applied for a $6,000 grant to purchase the bracelets.
If the application is successful, grant funds will “supply us with the training and the equipment needed to help sustain our Project Life Saver program,” Smith said.
The program uses the Life Support Bracelets to help locate dementia and Alzheimer’s patients and/or autistic children in the event they are missing, the sheriff said.
He added bracelets are attached to the ankle of those participating in the program. Smith’s office maintains monitoring equipment that is used to help locate participants electronically when needed.
“We’ve had this program for many years, and we’ve used the equipment to find about a dozen people that have wandered off through the years,” Smith said.
“We’ve been able to use the equipment to find them, so it’s definitely a worthwhile project. Being able to protect a vulnerable population is paramount for this office, and we’re going to continue the program,” he said.
The bracelets are worn by about 10 people in the county, according to Smith, who added that Patrick County Deputy Bob Pittis has overseen the program for about 12 years.
The sheriff’s office began partnering with the Patrick County Alzheimer’s Group LLC on the project many years ago, Smith said.
“We have the same common goal of protecting this population, and through the years we’ve become close partners,” Smith said.
Sally Smith, president of the Alzheimer’s Group, said the organization pays for the bracelets and the required batteries.
Each bracelet costs $340, “and we usually buy three at a time. So, you’re talking about three bracelets is $1,000,” Smith said.
“The sheriff’s office goes out, puts it on them, and they go out once a month and change the batteries,” she added.
Donations also are accepted and may be mailed to Patrick County Alzheimer’s Group LLC at P.O. Box 1301, Stuart, 24171.
For more information, or to inquire about getting a bracelet for a loved one, call the Patrick County Alzheimer’s Group LLC at 693-2089 or contact the sheriff’s office at 694-3161 and ask for Pittis.
