Cops record dementia patients vital details
DEMENTIA patients living in Runcorn and Widnes could be helped in the event of going missing after the launch of a scheme aimed at making sure police have vital details about them.
Cheshire Constabulary launched the ‘Herbert Protocol’ last Tuesday.
The initiative encourages carers, relatives and friends to complete an online form recording information about the person with dementia, including a photograph, any medication they require, contact phone numbers, places they like to visit, where they used to live and work, their routine and locations where they have been previously found.
A Cheshire police spokesman said that this means that in the event of them going missing all their details can be accessed by officers right away and save vital time.
There were 1,232 residents aged over 65 with dementia in Halton according to NHS England figures published in January 2016.
Cheshire police said the estimated number of patients with dementia in England is higher than 850,000 and predicted to grow to 1m by 2025.
The spokesman said looking after residents with this type of illness can be challenging as sufferers can often start to walk about wander. Sometimes this can be in the garden or street for a short time, but sometimes it leads to becoming lost or going ● missing. In preparation for the scheme’s launch, police officers have been working with local authorities, care homes, the Alzheimer’s Society and Cheshire Fire And Rescue Service to maximise the number of residents signed up.
The spokesman said the force has also been working closely with the Care Quality Commission, which it said was ‘fully supportive’ of the initiative and is considering including the Herbert Protocol as part of all future inspections in the county.
The Herbert Protocol was created by Norfolk Constabulary and is named after the late George Herbert, a Normandy landings Second World War veteran who went missing on his way to his childhood home.
Inspector Simon Newell said: “If you live in Cheshire and have a friend or relative living with dementia and often worry that they may go missing then I would urge you to go online and fill in the form.
“It won’t take long to fill it in – and the information you provide could be vital.”
Cheshire Police And Crime Commissioner David Keane said: “My hope is that the implemen- tation of this nationally recognised and accredited scheme will support the effective and efficient use of local policing resources and empower our communities to connect with, and support the constabulary in keeping some of our most vulnerable residents safe.”
Jo Hawkins, Alzheimer’s Society operations manager for Cheshire, said: “These new measures will really help police act quickly to find someone who has gone missing and hopefully minimise the distress this can result in for the individual and their family.”
To find out more about the Herbert Protocol or to register a friend or family member visit https://www. cheshire.police.uk/adviceand-support/missing-persons/herbert-protocol/
For advice or further information about dementia visit www.alzheimers. org.uk or alternatively call the Alzheimer’s Society North West office on 01925 572239.