DORSET Police have pledged to help support people with dementia as part of the national awareness-raising week.

The force is currently in advanced discussions with the Dorset Care Home providers to agree a new protocol that will allow police officers to take any person they find lost and confused suffering from dementia to a specialist care home rather than a police station.

Staff at the Office of the Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) Martyn Underhill have also completed dementia awareness training, which follows Mr Underhill signing the National Dementia Declaration in April last year, and have been actively promoting the initiative with a number of events.

National Dementia Awareness Week has been taking place this week with the aim of teaching people about the illness, how to spot the symptoms and how to help people who might have it.

Dementia affects about 800,000 people in the United Kingdom, and although the illness is most common in people aged 65 and over it can affect younger people.

Mr Underhill said: “I am proud that our office is dementia friendly and can display its forget-me-not logo with pride.

“It has been so encouraging to see that Dorset now has eight communities registered as Dementia Friendly, with more coming on board regularly.”

The OPCC community engagement team attended the launch of the Sherborne Dementia Friendly Community earlier this week at Sherborne Abbey to show their support, and to also provide information on the new initiatives the police are putting place.

The staff at Mr Underhill’s office have also undertaken additional training and now have regular access to information and updates from the Alzheimer’s Society, and have a staff member allocated to a local alliance to ensure they are up to date with new initiatives.

Dorset Police are also hoping to come to an agreement with the Dorset Care Home Providers for a new protocol when people with dementia are found, and the force hopes that taking lost people who suffer from dementia to a specialist care homes instead of a police station will cause less distress for the person.