This article has been updated since it first appeared in print.
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A new law to improve dementia-related training for dispatchers, firefighters and emergency medical personnel has found unanimous support from lawmakers. HB 933 was filed by Del. Destiny LeVere Bolling, D-80th, and is a recommendation of the Virginia Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Commission, on which Bolling served previously, and the Commonwealth Council on Aging. It has been signed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin and takes effect July 1.
The law calls for teaching select local and state government employees various techniques to respectfully communicate with and address the behavioral symptoms of people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, as well as using “alternatives to physical restraint.” A required evaluation of community policing programs also aims to increase “sensitivity to and awareness of systemic and individual racism.” Similar legislation for police officers was passed last year.
“It’s not just the police that interact with folks that may have Alzheimer’s or dementia,” Bolling says. “If our first responders don’t know how to work with people in these situations, it’s going to lead to more confusion.”
Training varies by organization and is dependent on the resources available. In Henrico County, home to Bolling’s district, the Division of Fire can utilize its Community, Assistance, Resources and Education team, which aims to assist those who have unmet needs, and its Robotics Response Team can use drones to aid search efforts. Currently, the Division of Fire offers quarterly training for medics and basic life support providers that includes hands-on activities such as wearing glasses to replicate vision loss or sorting pills into containers, Director of Emergency Medical Services Monty Dixon says.
Henrico’s CARE Team typically follows up with affected families to ensure continuity of care, team coordinator Jelisa Turner says. “A lot of times, there’s a family member who's suddenly faced with [being a caregiver], so we’ve recognized caregiver burnout,” Turner says. “So we try our best to make sure that those family members have all the tools that they need in their tool belt in order to care for their loved one.”
