Ohio bill would require cops to be trained on interacting with people with dementia

Ohio House Bill 441 comes as Ohio is on the brink of a demographic shift. (Photo by the Plain Dealer)

By Laura Hancock

 

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Would-be cops would get at least two hours of instruction on how to interact with dementia patients in peace officer training school, under a bipartisan, newly introduced Ohio House bill.

House Bill 441 comes as Ohio is on the brink of a demographic shift. Seniors are expected to outnumber those 18 and younger, according to the Alzheimer’s Association in Ohio.

Sponsored by Reps. Phil Plummer, a Dayton Republican who served as Montgomery County sheriff, and Thomas West, a Canton Democrat who worked for 25 years in mental health, HB 441 would require police to learn the following:

• How to identify people with dementia, including its psychiatric and behavioral symptoms
• Techniques for respectful and effective communication with dementia patients and their caregivers
• Techniques for addressing behavioral symptoms of dementia, including alternatives to physical restraint
• Identifying and reporting incidents of abuse, neglect and exploitation to the Ohio Attorney General’s office.
• Protocols for contacting caregivers when a person is wandering or in an emergency or crisis situation
• Local resources for individuals with dementia, and local and national organizations that assist police with locating missing and wandering people with dementia.

No one specific incident prompted the call for legislation. But each year stories come out about incidents with police and dementia patients, said Sarah Sobel, a public policy and outreach manager for the Alzheimer’s Association in Northern Ohio.

More families are choosing to keep their loved ones with dementia at home to be independent and minimize social isolation. The bill is also responding to that trend, trying to keep dementia patients and first responders safe, she said.

“Making sure that our peace officers and first responders are equipped to identify and effectively interact with Ohioans with dementia is crucial,” West said in a statement. “Our bill would ensure that they receive the necessary training to handle these situations and ensure the safety of our loved ones with this disease.”

The Alzheimer’s Association says one in three seniors has dementia and about 220,000 Ohioans currently live with dementia and Alzheimer’s, which is the most common form of dementia.

It’s a number that’s expected to grow by more than 20% over the next five years.

“Those who are suffering with dementia deserve to have trained professionals looking out for them and working with them at all times,” Plummer said.

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Ohio bill would require cops to be trained on interacting with people with dementia