Washington, D.C. – The American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) today praised the U.S. House of Representatives for unanimously passing the National Silver Alert Act (H.R. 632), authored by Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), which aides law enforcement to quickly locate missing seniors.
“We thank Congressman Doggett for his dedication to the safety of our nation’s most vulnerable citizens,” stated Bruce Yarwood, President and CEO of AHCA. “The 2.5 million patients and residents of the nearly 16,000 nursing facilities and 39,000 assisted living residences across the nation are the ones who will benefit from this important and sensible legislation.”
The National Silver Alert Act would create Silver Alert, a public notification system that becomes enacted by a report of a missing senior. Silver Alert would use a wide array of media outlets – such as radio, television, and highway signs – to broadcast information about the missing person in order to aid in their return. The Act would also create the position of Silver Alert Coordinator, housed within the Department of Justice, who would oversee the implementation of the program by setting voluntary guidelines and monitoring state Silver Alert programs.
“Long term care facilities place paramount importance on the care and welfare of their patients and residents and have the goal of providing a safe and secure environment,” stated David Kyllo, Executive Director of NCAL. “The Silver Alert Act allows providers to work effectively with law enforcement to ensure the safety and security of those they care for.”
The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) represent nearly 11,000 non-profit and proprietary facilities dedicated to continuous improvement in the delivery of professional and compassionate care provided daily by millions of caring employees to 1.5 million of our nation's frail, elderly and disabled citizens who live in nursing facilities, assisted living residences, subacute centers and homes for persons with mental retardation and developmental disabilities. For more information, please visit www.ahca.org or www.ncal.org.