Purple Alert, the first app of its kind in the UK which helps find people with dementia when they are lost reached 10,000 downloads on World Alzheimer’s Day (21 September 2019). Developed by Alzheimer Scotland, in partnership with Police Scotland and partners from across the public sector, the Purple Alert app is designed to support the families and carers of people living with dementia during an immediate missing person search. The app supports a Police Scotland’s National Persons Unit search, by sharing key information about the missing person at the point of crisis and alerts all users of an active local search, aiding to more eyes and ears on the ground helping with the search. Since going live in 2017, the app has assisted with 13 missing person searches resulting in all being found safe and well within four hours.
Joyce Gray, Deputy Director of Development for Alzheimer Scotland said: “As people age in a digital world we must be ready to provide solutions that enter seamlessly into their existing lives. From the outset our aim was to create a solution for when someone with dementia fails to return home or becomes missing. It’s a really distressing time for families, so having vital information to hand relieves some of that pressure and helps focus searches on places that are meaningful to the individual concerned. “We have been blown away by the reaction to the app from families and communities who have downloaded the app or came on board to help us share information about the app since going live. To reach 10,000 downloads ahead of our two-year anniversary on World Alzheimer’s Day, was a big success for us as we continue with our vision to unify communities and help create a dementia-friendly Scotland where nobody faces dementia alone.” Purple Alert is a free-to-download app for iOS and Android smartphones enabling information to be shared at the touch of a button to empower communities to raise an alert and share information of a missing person. To find out more about Purple Alert or to download the app, visit: purplealert.org.uk
