NC Silver Alert Anniversary

December marks the four year anniversary of the Silver Alert system’s launch in North Carolina. The Silver Alert system is the only way for nursing homes and caretakers of adults to file a missing person report. Before the Silver Alert system was activated, family members were the only people authorized to report a missing person.

The Silver Alert system in North Carolina has saved an immeasurable number of lives since its inception. The summer before the program started, a seventy-six-year-old woman suffering from Alzheimer’s wandered from her home. Authorities were not notified in time to find her. Now, families with seniors in a nursing home can rest easy knowing that nursing home staff and caretakers are recognized by the state as eligible authorities when reporting a missing person.

Instead of waiting 24 hours before announcing a missing person report, the Silver Alert system notifies the public right away. The message system cuts down on missing time for adults who suffer cognitive impairments or dementia. Silver Alerts are distributed via news outlets, highway alert signs and an automated phone system. Missing persons must fit two criteria for a Silver Alert: they must be 18 or older and have a cognitive impairment.

A Silver Alert was recently issued for a seventy-three-year-old Apex man. The missing person report was announced in the early morning hours and cancelled later that night when the man was found in Virginia.

If you or a loved one has experienced an injury from wandering because of poor supervision by a caretaker or at a nursing home, contact a nursing home neglect attorney at Brent Adams & Associates. Our personal injury attorneys in Raleigh, Fayetteville and Dunn work with families whose relatives have suffered harm because of negligent nursing home staff. Our injury lawyers will review your case and explain how state and federal laws protect innocent nursing home residents.