Florida Department of Elder Affairs Partners With Scent Evidence K9 to Help Vulnerable Populations Stay Safer at Home
The Florida Department of Elder Affairs is Partnering With Scent Evidence K9 to Help Vulnerable Populations Stay Safer at Home
Families Living With Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias Will Benefit From Scent Preservation Kits to Locate Missing Persons
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.,— Supporting the direction of Governor Ron DeSantis to keep older Floridians Safer at Home, The Florida Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA) is partnering with Scent Evidence K9 to distribute 2,000 Scent Preservation Kits® to caregivers of those living with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). As Florida seniors stay at home to limit their risk of exposure to COVID-19, those older adults with ADRD may have an increased tendency to wander and become lost. If that happens, proactive family safety measures, such as the Scent Preservation Kit®, are providing effective response systems to locate missing persons and return them to safety.
“Governor DeSantis is ensuring Florida’s older adults stay safe during COVID-19 and this partnership furthers that directive, especially for those living with ADRD,” said Elder Affairs Secretary Richard Prudom. “These Scent Preservation Kits® will assist families and help prevent at-risk individuals from becoming a missing person. They allow families and caregivers to be prepared before an at-risk individual goes missing, and the kits improve the response time if someone does go wandering.”
“We call our kits, “Peace of Mind in a Jar,” said Founder and CEO of Scent Evidence K9 Paul Coley. “As a former FBI Forensic Canine Operations Specialist and canine handler, I was constantly faced with the challenge of finding an effective scent article during active searches. My solution was to develop the scientifically tested and proven Scent Preservation Kit®. These kits provide K9 responders with uncontaminated scent articles that significantly reduce the time it takes to locate someone.”
Scent Evidence K9 has created special packaging for the kits, which will be distributed by DOEA and include a letter from Secretary Richard Prudom providing further assistance. DOEA is working with Memory Disorder Clinics, the Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative, and all Florida Area Agencies on Aging to identify recipients for the kits and ensure those with the highest risk of wandering are protected.
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About the Florida Department of Elder Affairs
The Florida Department of Elder Affairs, the State Unit on Aging, helps Florida’s elders to remain healthy, safe, and independent. The Department provides most direct services through its Division of Statewide Community-Based Services, which works through the state’s eleven Area Agencies on Aging and local service providers to deliver essential services to a vital segment of the population. For more information, please visit www.elderaffairs.org.
About Scent Evidence K9
Scent Evidence K9 is a Tallahassee-based international provider of effective scent discriminate systems and services that enable responders to find missing persons and bring them home safely. The company has partnered with several organizations including The Department of Elder Affairs, The Alzheimer’s Association, the Dementia Care and Cure Initiative Task Force, and law enforcement agencies across the U.S. and internationally to raise awareness and provide proactive public safety solutions for populations at high-risk for wandering.
