World Alzheimer’s Day – the support we can offer our communities

Lincolnshire Police are committed to supporting those with Alzheimer’s and wish to reiterate what services we can offer to help them.

Nearly 50 million people are living with dementia worldwide – 12,500 of those in Lincolnshire. That number is expected to balloon to around 60,000 by 2035.

To tackle this challenge, we all need to work together and share best practice – and World Alzheimer's Day is a chance to raise awareness, educate, and encourage support around dementia.

Today we’d like to talk about the Herbert Protocol form, how it can help and who needs to fill it in. Additionally, we’d like to talk about our smart wristband scheme.

If you have dementia, or have a family member or friend with dementia, please feel free to contact us if you require our help – we can support you.

The Herbert Protocol

People with dementia can sometimes start to wander. This might only be into the garden or street for a short time, but sometimes people get lost and go missing.

Carers, family or friends of a vulnerable person, or the person themselves, can fill in a Herbert Protocol form in advance, containing information to help the police if the person goes missing.

Submitting a completed form means you don’t have to try to remember the information when you are under stress if someone goes missing. And it saves time, so we can start the search sooner.

If you need to make an update, please complete a new form. 

You can find the form here - Complete and send a Herbert Protocol form | Lincolnshire Police (lincs.police.uk)

When to fill in a form

Use your professional opinion as a carer or your knowledge as a family member to decide whether a person is at risk of going missing. For example, you might decide it is time to fill in a form when someone cannot remember their address themselves.

Who fills in the form

A carer at a care home, family, friends or the person themselves can fill in the form.

Please get permission from the person at risk or their relatives before you complete a form. If that isn’t possible, a care home can fill in a form if they think it is in the person’s best interests.

Filling in the form with the person can trigger memories that they like to talk about, and can enrich your time with them. Be mindful though that some memories might be upsetting.

What to do when someone goes missing

If you discover someone is missing, look for them around the house or home, including any gardens and outbuildings.

If you don’t find them, call 999 immediately.

If you're deaf or hard of hearing, use our textphone service 18000 or text us on 999 if you’ve pre-registered with the emergencySMS service.

Don't worry - you won't be criticised for calling the police if you are worried about someone’s safety.

When you call us, say that you have already submitted a Herbert Protocol profile.

We will ask you extra questions about what has happened, including where and when the person was last seen and what they were wearing and carrying.

Smart wristbands

A “smart” wristband can be issued to people living with dementia. The wristband stores the name and contact details of a wearer’s next of kin so that if someone gets lost, police or members of the public can quickly access contact details by placing a mobile phone against the device. Please note, the wristband is not a tracker.

If you're a carer or relative of someone who is living with dementia you can request a wristband when you complete the Herbert Protocol form.

If you should come across someone with a band on who is looking lost and confused, reassure them and use your NFC mobile phone to read the band. To read the band hold your mobile against the flower picture on band and on your screen will pop up with the name and number of the NOK.

You can ring the NOK and reunite them quickly and safely often with no need to inform anyone else.

NFC stands for Near field communication. Typically this is a mobile phone newer that 2017 and no requirement for apps.

It is totally free to use and does not need mobile data either. It works in the same way your bank card works in a shop. You hold it to the device.

The device then shares the data stored on the chip which is then readable on your screen. The phone will not store the data and will not pass anything to the band.

iPhones usually have this feature turned on as a standard 24/7 within the phone.

Samsungs/ androids may or may not be turned on. Simply pull done into your quick settings and turn on the icon which looks like a capital N and usually has the word NFC underneath it.