A 58-year-old New Caney woman with dementia has been missing since July 20, and the case is putting a spotlight on a little-known Montgomery Police Department program that could help families avoid the same nightmare.

Maria Ortiz disappeared near State Highway 99 and Farm-to-Market Road 1485 in east Montgomery County. Her family told Click2Houston she has shown serious signs of dementia for six years and has wandered off before. Texas EquuSearch and Montgomery County law enforcement are involved in the search, Fox 26 reported. As of Aug. 5, no agency has confirmed Ortiz has been found.

The case has prompted the Montgomery Police Department to push awareness of its "Take Me Home" database, a free registry that helps officers quickly identify and return residents who are lost or unable to communicate because of a cognitive or developmental disability.

Lt. Joe Belmares of the Montgomery Police Department said the enrollment form asks seven questions, covering a person's favorite locations, preferred method of communication, tracking information, likes and dislikes, and de-escalation techniques. Families submit a two-page document and a photo.

"If we get a call for service and the officer can search the database we have for the Take Me Home program, this form will populate and it could help aid them in recovery," Belmares said Aug. 3.

The program is still in its early stages. Six families with seven loved ones are enrolled. None have needed to activate it yet.

Ortiz was not enrolled in Take Me Home at the time of her disappearance. The program is run by the City of Montgomery Police Department, a separate agency from the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office that is leading the search for Ortiz. Residents in unincorporated areas or other cities should check whether their local agency offers a similar registry. The Harris County Sheriff's Office operates its own version for residents in that jurisdiction.

The Take Me Home enrollment form is available online at montgomerytexas.gov. The program is open to seniors, adults and children.

Anyone with information about Maria Ortiz's whereabouts can call the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office at 936-538-5900.