As six out of 10 people with dementia are apt to wander, the county is expanding its Alert San Diego system to notify residents of specific areas when someone is missing. The so-called "Silver Alerts" will make reverse 9-1-1 calls to the estimated 375,000 people registered with the system.

Mr. Casey, who sits on the Senate Special Committee on Aging, said the issue of seniors suffering from dementia who wander off is a growing problem as Americans age and more seniors are cared for at home. He held a news conference Friday at United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania's West Scranton Senior Center to discuss creating a "Silver Alert," which would inform law enforcement and the public when a senior goes missing.

For a Silver Alert to be issued by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the missing person must be 60 years or older, and law enforcement must verify that the individual has an irreversible deterioration of intellectual faculties. A Silver Alert sometimes is issued for a missing person 18 to 59 years old that has an irreversible deterioration of intellectual faculties, and the use of highway signs may be the only way to rescue them.

Rep. Fred Perry, R-Tulsa, would like to incorporate a "Silver Alert" for senior citizens into the state's "Amber Alert" system to better enable law enforcement and the media to respond quickly should a senior citizen wander and not return.