Last week JN in the article with the title “More than 100 missing elderly people were never located", of 16 July 2024, made it known that “Only in the PSP area was there 1446 alerts for missing persons cases involving people with 65 years or more. GNR does not have compiled numbers", verifying that after almost a decade the Security Forces (FS) they still don't know how many elderly people go missing and how many are found and in what conditions.
Rogério COPETO
Colonel of the GNR
Master in Law and Security and Homeland Security Auditor
Already in November 2015 of JN, about the disappearance of elderly people, mentioned that “JN Labour pointed out flaws” e “It is not known how many die", whose articles with the titles “Disappeared 750 seniors over the past three years", of 22 November and “Disappear 3500 people every year in Portugal" from 23 November, written by journalist Nelson Morais, who requested data from police and judicial authorities, and listened to several experts on the subject, concluded, almost ten years ago, that all was not well with regard to the registration of missing elderly people and their location.
About this topic, I have had the opportunity to write several times, as well as collaborated in writing articles, on or topic, For example, the article “More than 150 elderly each year and only 74 % are saved” (no link available), written by journalist Alfredo Teixeira and published in the edition of 2 July 2012 from Diário de Notícias.
In this article the records of the GNR were analyzed, about the phenomenon of missing elderly people among 2007 and 2011, being noted that the year 2011 It has recorded a higher number of missing elderly, registering up 211, Its main causes health problems and, especially, Alzheimer's disease, which increases these cases.
In the five years analyzed were recorded the disappearance of 771 seniors, averaging 154 per annum, checking at that time, that the number of people missing over 65 years already represented 10 % of the total cases recorded by GNR.
Of 771 missing elderly, 5% It was a trail of where they were, often because they are victims of ill-treatment, 54% It was because they had lost and 41% for other reasons, where they include suicide attempts, with the elderly missing due to 22 hours, average, wherein 74% They are found alive, 20% found dead and 6% is unknown whereabouts, with the GNR committing an average of six soldiers of different strengths to search operations.
The article also mentioned that it is in the interior of the country, where the phenomenon is more expression, there being a greater number of disappearances, due to there being a greater number of more vulnerable elderly people, because they are isolated or living alone, most health problems, without family and economic difficulties, many of them finding themselves displaced from the places where they were born or lived, because with increasing age, They were brought closer to the family or institutionalized, enhancing disappearances, through ignorance of these new locations so, lose easily for lack of sense of direction.
In the following year 2013, again the DN published in its edition of 28 December an article with the title “170 elderly people were reported missing in the last 12 months " (no link available), authored by journalist Ruth Coelho, which also reported on GNR data for that year and where the GNR spokesperson stated at the time that “the Guard takes these disappearances as a priority and tries to locate people in the shortest possible time and in the search for a missing elderly person all means available to the GNR are used: cinotécnicos means (teams man / dog), by horse, Intervention Group, Protection and Relief, of the Nature and Environment Protection Service and patrols of Territorial Posts".
This article also highlighted Operation Censos Sénior de 2013, where they were flagged 28.197 elderly to live alone or in isolation situation, verifying an increase of 12.601 new cases, regarding the 1st edition of Operation Censos Sénior carried out in 2011, whose operation is carried out every year, aiming to identify potential risk situations, in the area of responsibility of GNR, It is the elderly who are in danger, signaled to the competent authorities, that in the last Senior Census Operation of 2023, held in October, They identified 44.114 seniors.
As mentioned, very recently I had the opportunity, twice, to address the issue of missing people here at LN, in the article "The role of the Security Forces in the disappearance of people" from 5 July 2023 and already this year in the article “Missing persons and the myth of ‘24 hours’" from 22 May, having in the first article made known what procedures the FS, develop in locating a missing person and in the second that it is not true that the police authorities have to wait 24 hours to start the search for a missing person, regardless of age.
We remember that, that to locate missing people, FS begins shortly after reporting the disappearance, with the disclosure thereof to all Forces and Security Services, if starting the search operation immediately, by collecting the information needed to determine the usual routine of the disappeared person and what their normal travel, and after this evaluation, established an acting perimeter, bigger or smaller, in accordance with the disappearance time.
The collaboration of local fire brigades and the population is also requested, for under the orders of Commander territorial jurisdiction are search teams set, reinforced by the binomial cinotécnicos, which are necessarily used in searches.
The FS in locating missing people, can use the cell phone's cellular location, in possession of the missing person, feature that has greatly helped to find a vast majority of missing.
And to prevent the disappearance of elderly people, it is necessary to take some precautions, especially those with elderly at your own risk, so as soon as the disappearance is known, FS must be informed as quickly as possible, as well as if an elderly person is seen on the street with signs of disorientation. Elderly family should have redoubled attention during periods of transition, for example when the elderly person changes address or is institutionalized and in the case of elderly people with some type of dementia, use a bracelet or a necklace ID, with a phone number for contact, You may also opt for a GPS tracking device, and never go out on the street without identification, It is recommended that you register with the “Rumo Seguro Program”, a partnership between “Alzheimer Portugal” and the GNR or in the “I'm Here Adults Program” da PSP.
We conclude by suggesting that the FS keep updated records of all missing elderly people, all incidents must be closed, after your location, so that the necessary data on the disappearance of elderly people becomes available, to better understand the phenomenon and better promote its prevention.
Note: The text constitutes the exclusive and unique opinion of its author, which only binds to this and do not reflect the opinion or position of the institution where it provides services.
