The Lakeland Police Department just completed six training sessions over two weeks for sworn and non-sworn members into the issue of Alzheimer's disease and wandering. This exceptionally useful training was co-sponsored by the Alzheimer's Association and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement as a way to help promote the "Safe Return" program, a 24-hour nationwide identification, support, and enrollment program.
The goal of "Safe Return" is to help identify and return to safety a person with Alzheimer's or a related dementia who has wandered locally or far from home. The program offers registration into a nationwide database and identification jewelry that can be worn by individuals to help police or other emergency workers identify a wanderer and return them to their loved ones.
The training addressed common scenarios where police officers might encounter someone with Alzheimer's disease and how to best deal with the situation. Common patterns found in wandering were also presented to help officers quickly set up search patterns to locate the missing person safely.
You can learn more at the "Safe Return" program from the Alzheimer's Association web site or contact the Lakeland Police Department at 863-834-6900 and let us see how we can help.
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