When Dad goes missing – you’re terrified and not sure what to do next; a useful resource, log in and bookmark this one.

By Staff

BURLINGTON. ON.  January 29, 2013    We see a couple of these reports each month and we can expect to see more as our population ages.  A recent police media release went like this:

Male Missing:  Elderly Man with Alzheimer’s Believed to Be Lost in the Toronto Area

The Halton Regional Police Service and the Toronto Police Service are seeking the assistance of the public in locating a missing elderly male person who is believed to be lost in the Toronto area.

The missing male person is a 82-year-old senior who resides in the City of Burlington in the Regional Municipality of Halton. The missing person has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. The missing person is dependent upon certain medications and his health may deteriorate without his prescribed medication, and may appear confused. The male will be reluctant to accept help if approached.

At approximately 10:53 p.m. a member of the Halton Regional Conservation Authority Parks Department was on routine patrol.

In this situation the follow up was a good news story:

A Parks Officer came upon the scene of a single motor vehicle collision on Milborough Town Line north of Campbellville Sideroad in the rural area of MILTON.  Sometime prior to the officer’s arrival a single motor vehicle had left the roadway and struck a tree.

It was determined that the vehicle involved in the collision belonged to Gerard HOOLBOOM, who had been reported as missing to Halton Regional Police earlier in the day.

Mr. HOOLBOOM was found conscious, near the vehicle. The officer immediately rendered first aid to Mr. HOOLBOOM for minor injuries and summoned EMS and police to the scene.

 The Halton Regional Police take these calls, broadcast the missing person to the media and we do what we can to get the message out to the largest possible community.

Because this is such an emotional issue for any family that goes through the experience the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and the Canadian Centre for Information on Missing Adults (CCIMA) have provided a guide that is very well put together.

CCIMA is a bilingual online resource that provides information and acts as a referral centre for Canadian families and friends of missing adults.

The guide provides families with useful and practical information to help cope with the realities associated to having a missing adult.  Bookmark this page – you don’t want to have to search for it if you need it.

The police are behind this: “We wholeheartedly support the efforts of CCIMA in their development of this comprehensive guide for families of missing adults to assist them in what is often an emotionally overwhelming situation,” said Deputy Chief Andrew Fletcher.

 

 

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