Training First Responders to Interact with Dementia Patients

Active lifestyles and medical advances are helping Americans live longer lives and decreasing the mortality rate associated with major diseases such as stroke and HIV. The flipside of this extended lifespan is that the number of adults living with Lewy Body Dementia and other forms of dementia are increasing every year.

As dementia becomes more widespread, our communities will increasingly need police, firemen, EMS and other first responders that have been specially trained to interact with this segment of the population. Up to 70% of people with Alzheimer’s are expected to wander from their home or caregiver at some point in time, and it’s critical that we have trained personnel in our communities ready to help with these situations and any others that may arise.

Are first responders in your community trained to work with people with dementia? Do you know who to call if the person you care for wanders away? Here are some programs that can help your community prepare:

Public Safety Programs for People with Dementia

Approaching Alzheimer’s: First Responder Training: The Alzheimer’s Association offers a free online course to prepare first responders across the US for dementia-related calls. One of the program’s best resources is Quick Tips for First Responders – a downloadable guide for handling different situations, such as a missing person or driving incident involved someone with dementia.

IACP’s Alzheimer’s Initiatives: The International Association of Chiefs of Police launched its Alzheimer’s initiatives program in 2009 to prepare law enforcement for calls involving people with dementia. Here are some facts about the program:

• It was co-developed by IACP, the Department of Justice, the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Office of Justice Programs
• Participants are taught how to interact with people with dementia and best practices for responding to calls in which a person with dementia is missing
• IACP offers two programs; the free, 1-day Direct Training Program and the 2-day Train-On-Trainer Program. In the first program, law enforcement and first responders learn about Alzheimer’s and dementia and protocols for search-and-rescue. The second program is more intensive and involves hands-on training with a trained professional with community experience with dementia

MedicAlert L.E.A.P.: MedicAlert introduced its new Law Enforcement Agency Portal (L.E.A.P) program in 2016 to help community members and local law enforcement find lost or wandering individuals, including those with dementia.

• After registration, enrolled individuals receive a free medical ID bracelet and free access to support services 24/7
• 98% of missing at-risk persons are found when using MedicAlert devices
• The program is free and open to all law enforcement agencies nationwide

NCCDP First Responder – Dementia Training: The National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners offers two certification programs that train first responders for situations involving people with Alzheimer’s and dementia.

• The CFR-DT Certified First Responder-Dementia Trained Certification for First Responders includes a 6-hour training seminar, qualifying the participant to submit a CFR-DT certification application. It is recommended for first responders, police, EMT’s, prison guards, firefighters, etc.
• The Certified Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care Trainer – CADDCT program certifies trained professionals to become a Certified Dementia Practitioner and teach others about working with dementia cases.

Silver Alert: More than 40 states currently use the Silver Alert program, although New York is not one of them. Inspired by Amber Alert, Silver Alert allows law enforcement to broadcast information to help locate seniors that went missing while operating a vehicle.

• Congressional lawmakers have introduced several versions of the proposed National Silver Alert Act. None of the efforts have been signed into law, but there is a good deal of support for taking the program to a federal level.
• The National Sheriffs’ Association, the National Association of Police Organizations, the Alzheimer’s Association and several other trade groups have endorsed previous versions of the bill.

Three out of five people with Alzheimer’s are expected to wander, and up to half will die or sustain serious damage if not located within 24 hours. It’s important for first responders in our communities to recognize that dementia-related calls are not a matter of if but when.

Incidents involving people with dementia are only going to increase as more Baby Boomers age, and we, as caregivers and family members, need to know our first responders have the right skills and resources to effectively help in emergencies. Most of the programs listed above are free, easy to access and will work directly with police, firefighters and other law enforcement agencies in our communities.

If you’re unsure about the resources available in your community, call your local police department, fire station and other medical personnel and ask. At the very least, you’ll receive some peace of mind that you live in a safe community prepared to help you if an emergency should arise. If they don’t have a program in place, we urge you to share these valuable resources with them.