title: Finding Your Way™: a collaborative approach to increase awareness of missing person events among persons with dementia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe an innovative community-wide program aimed at increasing awareness of risks of missing person events among persons with dementia targeting various cultural groups and to present preliminary evaluation findings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Review of program records to describe program implementation and a community partner survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over 23 months, 386 partnerships were established to implement the program; 941 awareness-raising sessions were conducted reaching 23,495 individuals. There is an upward trend in number of sessions conducted in various languages and attendance. Community partners' (>85%) responded positively to the program and consultation process.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This partnership experience demonstrates the effectiveness of a collaborative approach to the development and widespread dissemination of information and resource materials aimed at ensuring the safety of a vulnerable population.
authors.affiliation: Specialized Geriatric Services, St Joseph's Health Care London, Aging, Rehabilitation & Geriatric Care Research Centre, Lawson Health Research Institute, 801 Commissioners Road East, London, Ontario, N6C 5J1, Canada.
authors.forename: Loretta M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Hillier
authors.affiliation: Alzheimer Society of Ontario, 20 Eglinton Avenue West, Suite 1600, Toronto, Ontario, M4R 1K8, Canada.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.affiliation: Alzheimer Society of Ontario, 20 Eglinton Avenue West, Suite 1600, Toronto, Ontario, M4R 1K8, Canada.
authors.forename: Cathy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Conway
authors.affiliation: Community & Home Assistance to Seniors (CHATS), Jocelyn Meredith Consulting, Units 8-12, 448 Holland Avenue West, Bradford, Ontario, L3Z 0G1, Canada.
authors.forename: Jocelyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Training, Ontario Police College, Ministry of Community Safety & Correctional Services, Faculty of Applied & Professional Studies, School of Criminology & Criminal Justice, Nipissing University, 100 College Drive, Box 5002, North Bay, P1B 8L7, Canada.
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hoffman
mesh_terms: D001364:Awareness; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods*
keywords: community outreach; community safety; dementia; missing person events