Yellow wristbands launched to help locate people with dementia

Durham Constabulary has launched bright yellow wristbands to help locate people with dementia who go missing.

The force is one of many police forces across the country rolling out the initiative, which aims to reduce harm and find people quickly with minimal adverse outcomes.

The wristbands, rolled out this month, contain the person’s name and an emergency contact number and can be scanned by a mobile phone.

Lorraine Dunn, 72, from Darlington, who was diagnosed with mixed dementia a decade ago, said the scheme will allow people “who wander out when they shouldn’t do” to be “tracked quite quickly”.

Mrs Dunn, who runs the Dementia Dream Team group which gives peer-to-peer support for people with dementia and their caregivers, said: “Those with advanced dementia, they won’t know about it [the wristband] but it will give their family peace of mind.”

“For people who are in middle stages of dementia, who can go out by themselves but may get confused, then that would give them peace of mind as well.”

Durham Police said about 70 per cent of individuals living with dementia may go missing at least once.

There have been 1,000 bands and 1,000 tags, which can be attached to clothing, produced and funded by the office of Durham police and crime commissioner Joy Allen.

Officers are asking anyone who sees someone on their own, looking lost and confused and wearing a bright yellow band, to stop and help.

Holding a mobile phone close to the band will display personal information including a name and emergency contact.

Durham Constabulary confirmed only the individual’s name and date of birth will be on the wristbands, as well as emergency contact details.

A QR code will also be included, directing people to information about the Herbert Protocol, a national scheme used by emergency services which includes details about the person, their past, habits and places they go.

Mrs Dunn said: “With every initiative there is going to be pros and cons.”

“We have this saying, ‘if you have met one person with dementia, you’ve met one person with dementia’, because we are all so different.”

“What works for some won’t work for others. If it works for one person then it is a bonus.”

The wristbands will be initially issued to those signed up to the Herbert Protocol, and then rolled out to the wider public once trialled.