Herbert Protocol & dementia – advice for all
The Herbert Protocol is named after George Herbert, a war veteran of the Normandy landings, who lived with dementia. This ‘safe and found’ initiative is a national scheme, supported locally by GMP and other local agencies, which aims to give peace of mind to those who care for an adults with care and support needs, including those with dementia or Alzheimer’s, and worry that they may go missing.
The Herbert Protocol is a form which is kept at home, or in a safe place, with important information about a vulnerable person. It contains questions for carers, family members or friends to complete in advance, recording all vital details, including medication required, mobile numbers, places previously located or attended, a photograph, associates, daily routine etc..
If a person is reported missing, the police need a lot of information from people who are likely to be in a state of anxiety. Gathering that information takes time and it may not always be accurate, particularly when it relates to historic information which can be important when searching for a person with dementia.
The Herbert Protocol is designed to collect most of the information in ‘slow time’ – it can then be passed to the police quickly if it is ever needed. It will help the police in their search, saving valuable time and help return them to safety. The form should be kept up to date with a recent photograph of the person that can be passed to the police if needed.
The police will only ever ask for the form if the person is reported missing.
The form and further details can be found on the GMP website at www.gmp.police.uk/Herbert on this page you will also find a poster and leaflet about the scheme.
- A video available at youtu.be/0YOWrSsnt2o explains more about the scheme.
How common is dementia?
According to the Alzheimer’s Society there are around 850,000 people in the UK with dementia. One in 14 people over 65 will develop dementia, and the condition affects 1 in 6 people over 80.
The number of people with dementia is increasing because people are living longer. It is estimated that by 2025, the number of people with dementia in the UK will have increased to around 1 million.
Find out more from specialist organisations such as:
- Alzheimer’s Society – visit their website at www.alzheimers.org.uk
- Dementia UK – visit their website at www.dementiauk.org
- Age UK – visit their website at www.ageuk.org.uk
