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Aug 5, 2008 9:09 pm US/Eastern

Westchester Offers GPS For Alzheimer's Patients

As Many As 60 Percent Of People With Disease Wander

YONKERS, N.Y. (AP) ― A county in New York's northern suburbs has a new program that will issue global positioning system tracking bracelets to Alzheimer's disease patients with a history of wandering.

Westchester County's Project Lifesaver will help police locate those who have wandered using a radio signal transmitted from the GPS bracelets. The county is offering the bracelets free to 100 local seniors with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia at the start of the program.

County Executive Andy Spano says the program gives caregivers some much needed peace of mind. He spoke on Tuesday as local police found a 93-year-old Scarsdale man with Alzheimer's disease reported missing on Saturday.

The Alzheimer's Association says about 60 percent of Alzheimer's patients wander.