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Great New Information Regarding the Safety of Someone with Dementia in the Orlando, Florida Area

Did you know that you can now contact the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office and request a scent evidence kit. You may be asking yourself why would you want do that. If you have a friend, loved one, or family member with dementia, they may wander off or drive off; and they may get lost. You may not know where they are located. Not knowing about your loved one’s whereabouts is nerve wracking and scary. At that point, you will most likely call law enforcement to help you locate your loved one.  

That is where the requested scent kit would be invaluable. The kit is useful because when you request the kit, Seminole County Sheriff’s Office will give you the kit and make sure the scent is collected properly. They do that by using a few swipes of a gauze pad and then placing that securely in a jar. The kit contains everything needed to collect and securely store the scent of your friend, loved one, or relative in case the sheriff’s office ever needs to send a K-9 assisted search for your friend, loved one, or relative. 

This is great news for Seminole County because on June 2019, Governor DeSantis approved a pilot program for Seminole, Sumter, and Bay counties. The project is called “Bringing the Lost Home”. Luckily for the residents of Seminole County, Sheriff Dennis Lemma and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office was chosen for the pilot program. The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office is working with the Alzheimer’s Project and Scent Evidence K9 Inc. to implement this pilot project. 

Those partners are working to ensure that the scent is kept in as pristine condition as possible. That is critically important to the success of the program. Seminole County Sheriff’s Office keeps a database of families with the scent jars, but the scent of your loved one stays with you. It is then provided to Seminole County Sheriff’s Office if you’re loved one goes missing, and the actual scent sample is needed by law enforcement. 

The scent kit lasts for ten years. They do not have batteries that run out or need recharging. There is no need to worry about the scent kit breaking or malfunctioning. These scent kits may provide you some peace of mind if you have a loved one with dementia who has wondered away. You should be grateful and thankful that Sheriff Dennis Lemma and Seminole County Sheriff’s Office was selected for this wonderful pilot program. 

If you are interested in obtaining a scent kit, you may contact the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office at: ElderServices@SeminoleSheriff.org 

If you have more questions regarding a legal matter with a relative who has dementia, you may call Ann Marie Giordano Gilden at Ann Marie Giordano Gilden, P.A. at 407-732-7620 and set an initial consultation. You may also visit my website at: https//:www.AnnMarieGildenLaw.com

This article is for informational purposes only; and it does not form an attorney client privilege.