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Six seniors with dementia are still missing or have been found dead so far in 2019, the worst year since BC Silver Alert was founded in 2014. (BC Silver Alert)
BC Silver Alert co-founder calls 2019 a tragic year for seniors with dementia
Chilliwack hit especially hard with two older people found deceased since August
The founders of the BC Silver Alert say 2019 has been a tragic year for seniors with dementia in the Lower Mainland.
Six seniors, including two in Chilliwack, were found dead or are still missing.
"I'm disappointed and frustrated that after six years since father's disappearance, more isn't being done by our province to help locate missing seniors with dementia," said Sam Noh, co-founder of the BC Silver Alert. Noh's father, who has Alzheimer's disease, has been missing from his Coquitlam home since Sept. 18, 2013.
"The chances of survival decrease if not found within 24 hours. As dementia patients are typically found by a member of the public, it is imperative that the public is informed as soon as possible."
Over the five years since the founding of the BC Silver Alert, there have been an average about 29 alerts a year. Over the same period, approximately two people per year have died or never been found.
Noh said they know they are not capturing all of the incidents where people with dementia, autism, cognitive issues or memory deficits go missing, but even with this partial picture, authorities should be alarmed.
Two seniors went missing Thursday night alone – one from Vancouver and one from Maple Ridge.
• READ MORE: Metro Vancouver police search for two men with dementia as temperatures drop
• READ MORE: Case of missing B.C. senior with Alzheimer's renews call for Silver Alert
Chilliwack in particular has been hit hard with two seniors going missing, both found dead, since the summer.
On Oct. 26, the body of 79-year-old John Pop was found not far from his home near Chilliwack Lake Road.
And on August 21, the body of 86-year-old Ethel 'Grace' Baranyk was found more than a month after she went missing.
• READ MORE: Search for missing Chilliwack senior with dementia comes to sad end
• READ MORE: RCMP confirm body of missing Chilliwack senior found
Lost-person behaviour statistics suggest that if a person isn't found in the first 24 hours, their rate of survival drops to 77 per cent, then to 60 per cent in the next 24 hours, according to Noh.
In the winter, any missing person that meets Silver Alert criteria is considered a life-threatening emergency. With an ageing population, and increased cases of dementia, Noh said the problem needs to be addressed soon.
The Silver Alert is used in 28 U.S. states, and three provinces have Silver Alert-specific legislation. Despite that, none of the Canadian National Dementia Strategy, B.C.'s Provincial Guide to Dementia Care, the B.C. Senior's Advocate or the Alzheimer's association has any plans.
"We know it works in other places. We'd like to see it working here in British Columbia," according to a BC Silver Alert press release issued Nov. 19.
"I know from my experience as a Search and Rescue volunteer that methods intended to prevent wandering are fallible," Noh said. "It only makes sense to have a safety net like the Silver Alert."
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