For caretakers of people with autism or dementia, nothing is more terrifying than them wandering off and getting lost.
The free Take Me Home registry can help law enforcement communication with folks with cognitive disabilitiesSara K. Satullo | For lehighvalleylive.com
That’s why Bethlehem is launching Take Me Home, a voluntary, free registry to help prevent tragedies and reunite families with loved ones who have cognitive and developmental disabilities that go missing.
Family members or caretakers can fill out an enrollment form including relevant personal details and submit a photo of the individual who might need special assistance. They may not be able to communicate where they live or what they need to those whom they encounter.
The enrollment form info will be entered into a database that police can search from their cruisers or the station if they encounter someone or if a person is reported missing.
“This is a program that enables the police or first responder to return an individual who may need special assistance back home faster than in the past,” Bethlehem Mayor Bob Donchez said in a news release. “If you have a loved one who has difficulty communicating, then this program may be for you.”
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Bethlehem already is a member of the Project Lifesaver program, which provides tracking bracelets to those with special needs, often people with autism or Alzheimer’s disease. If they go missing, their caregiver alerts police and a trained team responds to where they are.
But the wristbands cost $350 and the supply never meets demand, the city said.
The bracelets became more prevalent after 5-year-old Jayliel Vega Batista wandered off from a 2015 New Year’s Eve party his family was attending in East Allentown.
Following a widespread search by emergency personnel and volunteers, his body was recovered from the Lehigh Canal two days later.
HOW TO REGISTER
Fill out an enrollment form, found here, and e-mail it along with a photo to Officer Shirk at kshirk@bethlehem-pa.gov.
The information will then be entered into the database.
Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
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