Overview of SARNIF
Public Safety Canada awarded a three-year grant to Dr. Lili Liu, Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Health at the University of Waterloo and Dr. Antonio Miguel Cruz, Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Waterloo.
The Search and Rescue New Initiatives Fund is providing $2,147,140 CAD over three years (April 2021 to March 2024) for this proposal that builds capacities, partnerships and coordination of search and rescue personnel, first responders, and communities to manage risks of going missing among persons living with dementia.
The four main objectives of the overall project are:
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To scale up and evaluate the Alzheimer Society of Ontario’s Rapid Response project to British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and two Indigenous communities (Manitoba, Quebec) for a total of seven provinces including Ontario, with search and rescue groups, fire departments, and paramedics.
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To create, scale up, and evaluate prevention- and safety-focused paper and digital toolkits (in English, French and relevant Indigenous language(s) for community organizations, persons living with dementia, care partners, facilities, and health service providers.
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To analyze existing data in police, SAR, vulnerable persons registries, Medic Alert, and interRAI to understand missing persons incidents and lost person behaviour specific to persons living with dementia in Canada.
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To develop, scale up, and evaluate a best practice guide for conducting “Return Home Interviews” in Canada to manage the risks of repeat missing incidents by providing support to connect persons living with dementia who have been missing to services and other supports.
