Haverhill resident Paul Zipper awoke to find his world suddenly changed when he and his family couldn't find his mother-in-law, who has Alzheimer's disease and lives in an apartment connected to the family home.
Panic set in as the Zipper family searched their neighborhood but found no sign of the missing woman. He called police.
Luckily, the officer on duty knew that his mother-in-law had been found unharmed and brought to Merrimack Valley Hospital around 2 a.m.
Zipper said that before his mother-in-law wandered away, the family took precautions to try to ensure her safety.
"It was something we were all aware of. She had 'round-the-clock companionship during the day, and at night one of us would put her to bed. There was never a problem with her wandering off, so this completely caught us off guard," Zipper said.
Since their experience, the family has stepped up its vigilance. Alarms are set up in the house to let them know when she leaves her apartment and someone sleeps there with her at night.
Zipper's contacts with local police led him to share his mother-in-law's photograph and other pertinent information, in case she should become lost again. A Massachusetts state trooper, Zipper talked to a friend in the Haverhill department and discovered that the department's Elder Affairs Program could help the family protect his mother-in-law's safety.
"I was able to go down and fill out a form for families that have a loved one (with) Alzheimer's. I put down all her information and gave them a digital photo so that if, God forbid, it happens again, there would be information on file so they know who she is," Zipper said.
Officer Tim Donovan, elder liaison for the Haverhill Police Department, said the forms and pictures can be of tremendous help when police are searching for someone.
"This way, instead of getting a description over the radio of an elderly woman with gray hair and glasses, cars with laptops can pull the picture up and have it right in front of them. Before, the photograph would be at the department," Donovan said.
Zipper also met with Haverhill police Chief Alan DeNaro to thank him for the help the department gave his family. DeNaro told Zipper about the Global Positioning Satellite tracking system the department wants to buy. It would help locate residents who have autism, Alzheimer's disease or other conditions that might make them prone to wander.
The department is raising money with the hope of having the system fully operational by November.
Zipper returned with a check.
"We've had some businesses come through with donations as well as some residents. Within the next few weeks we'll figure out exactly what we have," DeNaro said.
"Once you're affected by something, it becomes more important to you. It's like when people are touched by cancer, they do the walks. I support this new program and am pleased to know that the chief has the compassion and foresight to do something like this. It is a valuable tool to have in the city to keep our residents safe," Zipper said.
In 2004, it was estimated that nearly 1,400 people in Haverhill over the age of 65 had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, disease, according to Gerald Flaherty of the Alzheimer's Association. An estimated 120,000 people in Massachusetts have Alzheimer's. It is the seventh leading cause of death nationwide.
Haverhill would not be the first area community to use a tracking program to help find people who become lost.
The Andover Police Department's Project Lifesaver uses radio frequencies.
"Transmitters that clients wear send out a silent signal. If we need to search for someone, we'll dial the receiver to that frequency and follow it until we find them," said Andover police Sgt. John Pathiakis.
Clients enrolled in the Project Lifesaver program wear a personalized wristband that emits a tracking signal. When caregivers notify the local Project Lifesaver agency that the person is missing, a search and rescue team responds to the wanderer's area and starts searching with the mobile locator tracking system.
The average time to find someone is eight hours. With Project Lifesaver, the average time is 22 minutes.
"In the middle of winter, 22 minutes versus eight hours is a huge difference. It's the difference between life and death, especially if someone has wandered off in a nightgown and socks. Unless they happen to be seen by an officer, they could be gone for hours," Pathiakis said.
Zipper said he encourages anyone who knows someone who is affected by Alzheimer's to donate what they can to help get the GPS program running in the city.
"It's a short investment to keep a family member safe. If we break down how much we spend every day, it's a short investment," Zipper said.
Until the department can get the program in place, Zipper urges people to fill out the forms available at the department.
"You want to do everything you can to help officers identify your missing loved one. Those forms have so much information and it will really help the department keep them safe," Zipper said.
For information or to donate toward the GPS tracking system, call 978-373-1212, ext. 502, and say you would like to donate toward the GPS tracking system for lost children or adults with special needs.
For more information about Project Lifesaver, visit www.projectlifesaver.org.
