Vorarlberg police train officers to respond to dementia

About 7,600 people in Vorarlberg are living with dementia, and police are increasingly called to incidents involving them, ORF reports. Training on how to respond to people with dementia has been part of police education in the Austrian state since 2014.

Police may be called when someone with dementia loses their way, leaves a care home, walks out of a restaurant without paying or behaves unusually in an everyday situation. Sixteen trainee officers at the Vorarlberg Security Academy recently took part in the training.

“The more we know about the symptoms and the better we share experience within our teams, the better we can assess situations,” said Chief Inspector Monika Weiss, deputy head of the police education centre in Feldkirch. She said trained officers can interpret behaviour more accurately and respond appropriately in challenging situations.

Dementia expert Christian Koch said care homes and police stations can prepare information in advance for a missing-person report for people who are prone to wandering. Having it ready can save valuable time in an emergency.

Dementia may be a factor in incidents such as shoplifting or travelling without a ticket, but it is not always the cause. Some people pretend to be confused, Koch said, adding that this is usually detected quickly. Each case is different, and the challenges vary from person to person.

Losing their way is one of the most common reasons police are called. People living in care homes often have their names on their clothes, Koch said. The way officers speak to someone can determine whether a situation calms down or escalates.

Driving can also become difficult for families. In Austria, people who obtained a driving licence at 18 can keep it without further regular tests. Koch said the main difficulty for many people with dementia is not the act of driving, but becoming disoriented about where they are. Someone may manage a familiar route for a long time but become lost if the surroundings change, for example because of a new bypass. They may then spend hours unable to find their way.

Disorientation can also affect people walking or using public transport. Daniela Egger, head of Aktion Demenz, said dementia should be discussed across society. People who encounter someone appearing confused on a bus should consider that the person may have dementia and need help.