Equipped with a new understanding of dementia after attending a Dementia Friends Information Session, Rachel from the Northumbria Police was able to deal with a concerning situation that arose whilst out in her local community. Champion Karen, who ran the Session, has kindly shared with us an inspiring story of how Rachel was able to assist an elderly lady.
One day Rachel was approached by a lady who she immediately noticed was not dressed appropriately for the weather that day. Realising something may be wrong, she asked what she could do to help and realised that the lady required assistance in finding the bank. Rachel helped her to the bank to ensure she got there safely.
Once at the bank, it became evident that the lady didn’t have any bank cards with her that day, and only had a library card. While searching for the card, the Alzheimer's Society logo caught Rachel’s attention. Seeing the logo led her to discover another card which included details of someone to call in the event that the lady was lost. Rachel called the number and, fortunately, was able to make contact with the lady’s daughter who came to collect her mother.
The Dementia Friends Info Session had equipped Rachel with the ability to recognise symptoms of dementia, and how to best communicate with and support the lady in this situation.
We’re so grateful to hear the lady approached Rachel that day, and that she was reunited with her daughter thanks to the contact information she was carrying and Rachel’s patience and commitment. Brilliant job Rachel!
A national scheme called the Herbert Protocol introduced by the police in partnership with other agencies, encourages carers, family members and friends to compile useful information which could be used in the event of a vulnerable person going missing. The information should be kept safe, and ready to hand to the police in the event of an emergency. Having this information available can help reduce the time it takes to find the missing person.
You can read more about the Herbert Protocol and other ways you can help a stranger who may be lost and confused in our recent blog post: https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/blog/what-to-do-someone-dementia-lost-confused-missing
Rachel wearing her Dementia Friends badge.
