Sometimes being a non-profit organization can really be frustrating. Take, for instance, when you put in a grant to a foundation and receive a courteous, yet canned reply, that you do not fit into their category of funding or that you were not selected for some obscure reason. Now, I know there is not enough money to go around all the time and you can’t always get the grant you want but, the frustration sets in when you feel the denial was based on the selection committee not really understanding the problem or what you do regardless of how hard you try to get the message across.
For instance, in my opinion, the wandering problem is big and it is only going to get bigger. It already costs a substantial amount of money to respond and when you consider the following statistics, it is evident how big the potential is;
The Alzheimer’s population is currently at 5.3 million people, 1 in 8 people over 65 years of age has Alzheimer’s, and by 2029, this population will swell to 9.1 million. It is now estimated that 1 in every 110 children is diagnosed with an Autism spectrum disorder. Now, add to that all that other cognitive conditions that may cause a person to wander. Also, consider this - Remote monitoring devices could reduce health care costs by nearly $200 billion over the next 25 years and Medicare could save $12 billion annually if they were used to prevent hospital readmissions.
So, where am I going with this? It is time for the light to go on with some of these foundation and government organizations as to the extent of the problem and how to deal with it. It is going to cost public safety agencies time and money to handle these situations and we could all use some help. I am all for monies going to research for cures and to help other deserving causes however, I think it is imperative that the mission of our member agencies and the costs they are going to incur be considered and the fact that taxpayers are, for the most part, going to have to foot the bill. This is not to diminish the lifesaving aspect and the peace of mind to families, who often can’t afford the service but, would welcome it.
All the above in mind, I say to these foundations and government entities, “It’s time to turn the light on and understand what the costs to society are going to be. You should help us now because, as this problems escalates, it will surely cost you and everyone else.”
Someday the Light will Go On!
Sometimes being a non-profit organization can really be frustrating. Take, for instance, when you put in a grant to a foundation and receive a courteous, yet canned reply, that you do not fit into their category of funding or that you were not selected for some obscure reason. Now, I know there is not enough money to go around all the time and you can’t always get the grant you want but, the frustration sets in when you feel the denial was based on the selection committee not really understanding the problem or what you do regardless of how hard you try to get the message across.
For instance, in my opinion, the wandering problem is big and it is only going to get bigger. It already costs a substantial amount of money to respond and when you consider the following statistics, it is evident how big the potential is;
The Alzheimer’s population is currently at 5.3 million people, 1 in 8 people over 65 years of age has Alzheimer’s, and by 2029, this population will swell to 9.1 million. It is now estimated that 1 in every 110 children is diagnosed with an Autism spectrum disorder. Now, add to that all that other cognitive conditions that may cause a person to wander. Also, consider this - Remote monitoring devices could reduce health care costs by nearly $200 billion over the next 25 years and Medicare could save $12 billion annually if they were used to prevent hospital readmissions.
So, where am I going with this? It is time for the light to go on with some of these foundation and government organizations as to the extent of the problem and how to deal with it. It is going to cost public safety agencies time and money to handle these situations and we could all use some help. I am all for monies going to research for cures and to help other deserving causes however, I think it is imperative that the mission of our member agencies and the costs they are going to incur be considered and the fact that taxpayers are, for the most part, going to have to foot the bill. This is not to diminish the lifesaving aspect and the peace of mind to families, who often can’t afford the service but, would welcome it.
All the above in mind, I say to these foundations and government entities, “It’s time to turn the light on and understand what the costs to society are going to be. You should help us now because, as this problems escalates, it will surely cost you and everyone else.”