Council on Aging Martin Offering Circle of Safety for Loved Ones with Memory Issues
STUART, FL - It only takes a moment – a loved one with memory issues wanders away, and the panicked search begins. Sometimes the person is found quickly and returned safely – but not always.
The Council on Aging Martin County is offering a better way to help individuals with cognitive conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s and the families that love them.
The Circle of Safety Program provides SafetyNet bracelets to those in need. The bracelet is lightweight and worn around the ankle, where it stays in place and isn’t bothersome like a wrist bracelet. It stays on all the time. It’s waterproof. And it’s free.
“We see the heartbreak in families when a loved one wanders. When we were offered a grant from the WellMed Charitable Foundation for a program that really works and is cost-free for our families, Council on Aging jumped at it,” said Council on Aging Martin CEO Karen Ripper.
The bracelet uses the latest technology to help protect and locate individuals before they are hurt or lost or worse. The bracelet gives off a signal that is read by a special tracking system monitored by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff’s deputies are trained, certified and equipped with SafetyNet Search and Rescue receivers to act quickly in an emergency. The signal works even in densely wooded areas, buildings, shallow water, and areas where even GPS and cellular technology aren’t effective.
“With the Sheriff’s Office, the Council on Aging, and families working together,” Ripper said, “we can build a circle of safety and protection around our most vulnerable loved ones.”
Martin County residents can get enrollment information for the Circle of Safety Program by calling the Council on Aging Martin at 772-223-7800 or visiting its offices at the Kane Center, 900 SE Salerno Road in Stuart. More information is available at its website www.coamartin.org.
About the Council on Aging of Martin County
The Council on Aging of Martin County is the community’s hub for senior resources and the county’s Lead Agency on Aging. Founded in 1974, the organization offers expertise, programming and support for older adults and their families to help seniors maintain lives of quality and purpose. Services include: Day Primary Care Center, Memory Enhancement Center, Adult Day Club, Meals on Wheels, care management, caregiver support, and a robust offering of educational, cultural, fitness and wellness programs.
The Kane Center located at 900 SE Salerno Road in Stuart is the Council on Aging of Martin County’s headquarters and is also an event venue available to the public. It serves as a special needs hurricane shelter when necessary. The Council on Aging of Martin County also operates senior outreach facilities in Hobe Sound, Jensen Beach, East Stuart and Indiantown. A 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the Council on Aging receives funding from state and federal agencies and relies on philanthropic support from the community, including other agencies, private foundations and individual donors. For more information, visit www.coamartin.org.