By Brimer                                              H.R. No. 560
         77R9022 MDM-F                           
                                 R E S O L U T I O N
 1-1           WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives is pleased to
 1-2     recognize Safe Return, a nationwide identification, support, and
 1-3     registration program for persons suffering from Alzheimer's disease
 1-4     and their caretakers; and
 1-5           WHEREAS, Each year, millions of Americans afflicted with
 1-6     Alzheimer's disease lose their ability to recognize familiar places
 1-7     and people; these sufferers easily become lost and can wander far
 1-8     from home; and
 1-9           WHEREAS, Families and caretakers of those with Alzheimer's
1-10     disease live in constant fear that their loved ones may become
1-11     disoriented and stray beyond the safety of their homes; such
1-12     incidents can occur even when sufferers are vigilantly monitored;
1-13     and
1-14           WHEREAS, Safe Return assists families and caretakers by
1-15     promptly identifying and returning those Alzheimer's sufferers who
1-16     become lost; the organization accomplishes its goal by providing
1-17     those with Alzheimer's an identification bracelet or necklace,
1-18     clothing labels, and wallet cards; these items, which feature a
1-19     toll-free crisis number, signal that the individual is
1-20     memory-impaired and may need help; and
1-21           WHEREAS, To assist in the locating and return of lost
1-22     persons, Safe Return maintains a national information and photo
1-23     database that includes important emergency contact information and
1-24     photographs of Alzheimer's patients, a 24-hour, toll-free crisis
 2-1     line, and a fax alert notification system; and
 2-2           WHEREAS, In addition to its identification services, Safe
 2-3     Return acts as an education center for those families coping with
 2-4     Alzheimer's disease; it offers training on how to handle wandering
 2-5     behavior and also provides information about a nationwide network
 2-6     of over 200 community-based Alzheimer's support chapters; and
 2-7           WHEREAS, Safe Return's success depends on community
 2-8     cooperation:  radio and television stations that broadcast the
 2-9     names and likenesses of missing Alzheimer's patients and those
2-10     citizens who take responsibility for helping them play a critical
2-11     role in this important public health effort; and
2-12           WHEREAS, For the families and caretakers of Alzheimer's
2-13     sufferers, the knowledge that their loved ones may become lost is
2-14     one of the most unsettling aspects of the disease; Safe Return is
2-15     an invaluable resource for these families and caretakers, serving a
2-16     critical health care need in communities throughout Texas and
2-17     around the nation; now, therefore, be it
2-18           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas
2-19     Legislature hereby commend the humanitarian work of Safe Return and
2-20     encourage radio and television stations in Texas to implement a
2-21     plan to help Safe Return find missing Alzheimer's patients.