Home for the Holidays: 63-year-old Woman with Dementia Found Safe Using L.A. Found Bracelet

A 63-year-old woman with dementia is home safe after wandering away and going missing, thanks to the L.A. Found program.  She was found by an LA County Sheriff’s Sergeant who tracked her location using the Project Lifesaver trackable bracelet system.

Los Angeles, CA – A 63-year-old woman with dementia is home safe after wandering away and going missing, thanks to the L.A. Found program.  She was found by an LA County Sheriff’s Sergeant who tracked her location using the Project Lifesaver trackable bracelet system.

Cathy went missing from the 4100 block of Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles on the afternoon of December 20.  She is an insulin-dependent diabetic and was in danger every hour that she was without care. The Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department were alerted several hours after Cathy went missing, but were not able to find her signal using the Project Lifesaver receiver. It is believed that she may have boarded a bus or gotten a ride from someone to escape the cold.  

LASD Sergeant Brandon Barclay picked up her bracelet’s signal December 21st and located Cathy under a freeway underpass in Highland Park.  Had she not been wearing a Project Lifesaver bracelet, she may not have been found.  

Cathy was taken to the emergency room where she was treated for dehydration and elevated blood sugar. She is now homesafe with her husband, still wearing her Project Lifesaver bracelet.

“Cathy is home safe for Christmas because of L.A. Found and the hard work of our LA County Sheriff’s Department and LAPD,” said LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn, who shepherded the creation of L.A. Found. “If you have loved one who suffers from Alzheimer’s, dementia, or autism, I encourage you to learn more about L.A. Found and see if a trackable bracelet is right for your family.”

“I want to express my greatest gratitude to two people – LA Sheriff’s Lieutenant John Gannon, and LAPD Sergeant Felix whose dedication to my wife’s case went above and beyond the call of duty,” said Cathy’s husband. “These Project Lifesaver bracelets work and I am so grateful this program exists.”

About L.A. Found

Wandering is a common problem associated with dementia, Alzheimer’s, and autism. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 60% of people with dementia will wander at some point while a study by the Interactive Autism Network found that 49% of children with autism will engage in wandering behavior. While the vast majority of these individuals are recovered, wandering cases can end in tragedy.

L.A. Found aims to find people who wander quickly and reunite them with their families. To learn more about the program and apply for a trackable bracelet, caregivers can visit www.LAFound.com