There's a new program that protects loved ones living with dementia and other cognitive challenges.
It's called the Bring Me Back Home Registry, which allows law enforcement to access information to help find people if they wander or go missing.
Connecticut State Police and the Connecticut Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association created this registry together.
It's a very personal program for Kristen Cusato after her 71-year-old mother with dementia walked out of an art class one day and was found flagging down cars in the street.
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"I knew at that moment that everything changed, and I knew that this thing can happen in an instant," Cusato said.
Cusato is the communications director for the CT Alzheimer's Association and brought the idea of a registry to Connecticut State Police.
According to the Alzheimer's Association, six in 10 people living with Alzheimer's disease or other form of dementia will wander at least once.
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"We take things day by day," Evelyn Miranda, of West Hartford, said.
Miranda's husband Eddie was diagnosed with Alzheimer's five years ago at the age of 71. That's when she quit her teaching job in order to take care of him full time.
"Knowing that this information will be online, that if anything does happen, this will help," Miranda said.
While Eddie has never wandered away from home before, it can happen unexpectedly.
Miriam Braga remembers the panic when her mother wandered away from home. It happened on a bitter cold day in February 2019. Miriam went out to pick up her mother's medication, but when she returned, the front door was wide open, and her mother was gone.
"The toughest is having to ID the body. And no one, ever, should have to go through that," Braga said.
Braga said her mother was found dead the next day at a ravine just a block away from home. It's believed she fell and hit her head and died from the cold.
"So, it's a proactive rather than a reactive approach. Time is critical for us in locating that has wandered," Lt. Col. Mark Davison with Connecticut State Police said.
Davison responded to call similar to in 2018. A Burlington man with dementia was found dead after going missing.
Davison said that's what inspired his involvement in the "Bring Me Back Home" registry - a tool that gives family members and caregivers the ability to provide a photo of their loved one and other background information so police can respond more quickly and narrow their search.
"Within two or three minutes, you can have all the information there. A lot of it is drop down type of menus, so it's just a click or two, relative to those items, and essentially, you have it complete. It rests in the database until you need to access it," Davison said.
If someone wanders or is missing, police say call 911 right away and share that you're registered with the "Bring Me Back Home" program. You can do that by clicking here.
