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Articles - Dementia Specialists to be Trained |
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Most people only associate Alzheimer's disease with memory loss. However, wandering is a common and potentially life- threatening behavior of persons with the disease. The Virginia chapters of the Alzheimer's Association are mindful of this dangerous behavior. Several Virginia chapters joined efforts to initiate a law to require established guidelines for dementia specific training of all law enforcement personnel. Through the combined efforts of the Department of Criminal Justice Services and the Virginia chapters of the Alzheimer's Association, a curriculum committee developed a dementia-specific training program. Focal points of this training session address issues of wandering and encourage positive interaction with memory impaired individuals. All incoming recruits to the Virginia police training academies received the dementia-specific training in September 1998. "Train the Trainer," the title of the dementia-specific training program, will be held in Richmond from March 29th through the 31st. This program will train 30 volunteers to become dementia specialist trainers. These trainers will deliver in-service training to the current, experienced law enforcement personnel. A second training for 30 more people will be held in Virginia Beach from May 10th through the 12th. The goal of the curriculum committee is to have all 25,000 active law enforcement personnel trained within two years!
Last updated: March 30, 1999
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