What Is A Silver Alert?
For seniors in danger, the Silver Alert can save lives, if it’s used.
Sadly, some of our most vulnerable leave home and don’t come back.
When an older adult goes missing, it doesn’t always make headlines. The assumption is often that they got confused and wandered off. Some turn up not long after they disappeared. A missing elder may not remember how to ask for help. They might not recognize street signs, phone numbers, or even their own name. In more nefarious cases, they were never lost to begin with because they were targeted.
That’s where the Silver Alert comes in. It’s a system designed to notify the public when a senior or medically vulnerable adult goes missing and may be in danger. It works like an AMBER Alert, with phones buzzing, highway signs flashing, and information broadcast across local and national media.
Our Black Girls is an independent, reader-supported publication. If you believe in amplifying the stories of missing Black women and girls, please consider making a direct gift through PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee, or by subscribing here.
What Is A Silver Alert?
A Silver Alert is a public emergency notification system used to help find missing older adults. This is especially for those with dementia, Alzheimer’s, or other cognitive conditions that make them more vulnerable.
The system began in Texas in 2005 and has since been embraced in most U.S. states. Still, like many emergency tools, how it works and if it works depends on where you live.
In most states, Silver Alerts are activated when:
The missing person is 60 or 65 years old or older (depends on the location)
They have a documented cognitive condition, or there is a clear concern for their safety
There is enough information to help locate them (such as a photo, vehicle, or last known location)
Some states explicitly include people of any age who have intellectual, developmental, or physical disabilities and are believed to be unable to return safely without help. For example, Tennessee includes such criteria for its endangered adult alerts.
Law enforcement confirms that the case meets state-specific criteria
While the alert is best known for helping locate seniors who wander off due to confusion or memory loss, many states also use it when foul play is suspected. That includes situations where an older adult may have been abducted or harmed, or otherwise disappeared under suspicious circumstances.
Not all states issue Silver Alerts the same way. A medical diagnosis is required in some locations, while others don’t have a system at all.
Who It Protects & Who It Misses
Moreover, this system has saved lives. They’ve brought elders home safely after hours or even days of being lost. For families, the alert offers hope and a way to quickly get the word out when every minute matters.
In Kansas, 78-year-old Lucy Daniels, a Black woman from Wichita, went missing. A Silver Alert was issued across the state, and she was later found safe. In Arizona, 71-year-old Quenett Scott was reported missing from Mesa. Her case was immediately circulated through a Silver Alert to help bring her home. Unfortunately, in that case, she was found deceased five days after going missing.
But, as with most systems, who gets protected depends on a variety of factors.
In many states, a person needs to be formally diagnosed with a cognitive condition like Alzheimer’s or dementia to qualify. That alone leaves people out. Black elders are less likely to be diagnosed, not because they’re less at risk, but because of long-standing medical mistrust and misdiagnosis.
There are other locations that won’t issue a Silver Alert for someone younger than 65, even if they have memory loss or severe disorientation. Others exclude people experiencing mental health crises unless it’s tied to a neurological condition. There’s also little consistency in how unhoused elders are treated, especially if there’s no one immediately present to vouch for their vulnerability.
So, while the system can work, it often works best for those with documentation or access. That’s why families need to know the criteria in their state, and why public awareness matters. Not all elders are seen as fragile, and not all disappearances are treated with urgency.
Join the Our Black Girls conversations on Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok, as well as on the OBG Podcasts on Apple, Spotify, Google, and Anchor FM. Stay updated on the latest cases, developments, messages from survivors, and much more.