Force’s dementia friendly promise
CHESHIRE police have pledged to become a Dementia Friend as part of an awareness week highlighting the condition.
The nationwide initiative is run by the Alzheimer’s Society and aims to transform the way the nation thinks, talks and acts about dementia.
Cheshire Police And Crime Commissioner David Keane aims to enable all officers and staff to handle situations more effectively and compassionately when dealing with people living with dementia, whether that be as a victim, witness, offender or missing person.
Deputy Chief Constable Janette McCormick said: “Dementia touches the lives of millions of people across the UK, yet many people do not understand what the condition is, and what impact it has on those who live with it.
“Many people think that dementia is purely about memory loss and believe that there is nothing they can do to help, but that is simply not the case
It is much, much more than that and we can do something to make a difference.
“As a force, we deal with people who live with dementia on a daily basis, which is why I feel it is so important that all our staff and officers understand the condition and know what they can do to help.
“By becoming a Dementia Friend our aim is to ensure that all our officers and staff have awareness of dementia, and know what simple steps they can make when dealing with people living with dementia.”
To enable the force to fulfil its commitment, it has identified a number of staff and officers who will all complete the Dementia Friends Champions training course.
The comprehensive training courses will be delivered by the Alzheimer’s Society, which provides specialist knowl- edge about the condition to be shared with colleagues across the force.
In addition, the Cheshire force is also seeking to introduce Dementia Friends training as part of the standard training package for all new recruits.
Mr Keane said: “I am delighted that Cheshire Constabulary will become a dementia friendly force and I believe that this will make a real difference to the communities we serve.
“Dementia can affect anyone and people living with the condition often feel confused and frustrated, and their families often feel isolated by the stigma that is attached to the condition.
“By becoming Dementia Friends I hope that all police officers and staff will have better understanding of how dementia affects people’s day-today lives, and how they can make a positive difference to people who are living with dementia in our community.”
The pledge follows funding to enable Cheshire police to become the first force in the north west to launch the Herbert Protocol.
It is a scheme, which is specifically designed for people who live with dementia, many of whom a Cheshire police spokesman said are known to start to ‘ walk about’ or ‘wander’.
While the majority of people do return a short time later, some people can get lost and go missing.
The scheme works by encouraging carers, family members and friends of people living with dementia to complete an online form in advance recording all vital details, such as a photograph, mobile number and medical conditions.
It means in the event that a family member goes missing all the required information can be instantly accessed and handed to officers.