“As it becomes more prevalent, instances of officers encountering people with Alzheimer’s will likely go up,” says State Representative Bill Friend of Macy, IN.
Friend is driving House Bill 1044, which would require police to get training on how to interact with people with dementia.
Because the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias is on the rise, police officers and other professionals need to know how to identify symptoms of dementia, how to communicate with people who have dementia, and how to handle the aggressive behavior sometimes displayed by people with dementia.
Learn more about the proposed legislation in Indiana.
Check out this video about how we need to create a dementia-capable society in which everyone knows how to interact with people who have dementia with empathy, compassion, and person-centered support.