Carinthia trains police to recognise dementia symptoms

Police in Carinthia are being trained to recognise dementia symptoms and respond sensitively, ORF reported. About 10,000 people in the Austrian state have dementia, and the number is rising.

The first 40 officers from the Villach and Villach-Land districts have completed dementia training as part of a project run by the state of Carinthia. Police regularly deal with people in exceptional situations, including those living with dementia.

Recognising the condition can be difficult, said Jasmin Madrutter, a general practitioner specialising in geriatrics. She cited examples including people eating fruit in a supermarket without paying, repeatedly calling institutions to report thefts that did not occur, or walking along the street while disoriented.

Officers should respond calmly, empathetically and respectfully, Madrutter said. The aim is to create an atmosphere in which the person with dementia does not feel threatened. A police uniform alone can appear intimidating, she added.

Wolfgang Gabrutsch of the Carinthian State Police Directorate said officers needed to understand what was happening and what the person was trying to communicate.

Carinthia currently has three police stations with dementia expertise. A further 160 officers are due to receive training. Health Minister Beate Prettner said dementia was becoming increasingly present in society and that those affected, as well as people around them, needed to understand what it meant.