SAPD Offers Advice on Caring for Elderly

SAN ANGELO, TX – The subject of today’s Nixle alert for a missing medically endangered senior citizen was reunited with her family after an extensive search throughout southwest San Angelo. 

Police tasked with the search of Lois Lamoreaux spotted her near Blue Gram Trail and Valleyview after she stumbled out from an alleyway. Lamoreaux, who was disoriented and suffering from exposure, was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. Lamoreaux reportedly wandered away from her home around 5:00 a.m. 

Although a communitywide Nixle Alert was issued, a statewide Silver Alert was not sought. While not needed in this instance, an immediate request for the statewide Silver Alert would have been delayed due to a requirement most caregivers of cognitively impaired patients are not aware of. 

The State of Texas Silver Alert Program, established by Texas legislation in 2007 to notify the public of missing older adults with a documented mental condition, has stringent criteria that must be met prior to publishing an alert through the state’s network. 

Criteria:
Is the missing person 65 years of age or older or been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease?
Does the senior citizen have a diagnosed impaired mental condition, and does the senior citizen's disappearance pose a credible threat to the senior citizen's health and safety? (Law enforcement shall require the family or legal guardian of the missing senior citizen to provide documentation from a medical or mental health professional of the senior citizen's condition. Note: A physician's letterhead, indicating the impaired mental condition, date of diagnosis, patient's name, with physician's signature is recommended to satisfy the documentation requirement)
Is it confirmed that an investigation has taken place verifying that the senior citizen's disappearance is due to his/her impaired mental condition, and alternative reasons for the senior citizen's disappearance have been ruled out?
Is the Silver Alert request within 72 hours of the senior citizen's disappearance?
Is there sufficient information available to disseminate to the public that could assist in locating the senior citizen? (Highway signs will be activated only if accurate vehicle information is available AND it is confirmed that the senior citizen was driving the vehicle at the time of the disappearance). 
The San Angelo Police Department is urging caregivers to obtain the required documentation and to keep several copies in a safe place in the event your loved one goes missing. Our officers also suggest that caregivers take photographs of their loved ones, at least quarterly, so they have current photographs that can be published in the event an alert is needed. Often times the only photograph made available to law enforcement is from a driver’s license, which may not resemble the patient’s current appearance. 

The Department sincerely thanks the members of the community who assisted with today’s search.