The Dementia Safeguarding Wristband in South Yorkshire: Protecting Individuals with Dementia Who Wander

Currently there are 10,000 individuals living in South Yorkshire with dementia. In 2018 alone, 189 of these individuals were subject to missing person searches. Our conversations with police have suggested that each missing person search can cost as much as £2,500, not to mention the extreme emotional distress and physical strain for the missing person and their loved ones. As those with dementia have a 70% likelihood of wandering and becoming lost, South Yorkshire Police are working with Lumiio again to distribute these wandering protection Dementia Safeguarding Wristbands.

What is discussed in this article:

• How is dementia supported in South Yorkshire?
• What is the Herbert Protocol in South Yorkshire?
• How does Lumiio's Dementia Safeguarding Wristband support the Herbert protocol?
• How do Lumiio's NFC Wristbands protect those with dementia who wander?
• How to recognise the South Yorkshire Dementia Safeguarding Wristband?

How Is South Yorkshire Protecting Those Living with Dementia?

Many areas within South Yorkshire are working their way towards being dementia friendly, if they are not already. Sheffield City Council has a 5-year Dementia Strategy aimed at developing more independence, community support, and encouraging early diagnosis. Barnsley already has Memory Café’s, drop-in groups, and activities for those with dementia and their carers. These are just a few examples across the South Yorkshire region, where more work is always being developed to support those affected by this heart-breaking condition.

The Herbert Protocol in South Yorkshire

The Herbert Protocol was initially established in South Yorkshire by the Rotherham Dementia Action Alliance’s work with their local police force, this excellent scheme was then adopted by South Yorkshire Police at large.

Police use the Herbert Protocol form as a hub of detailed information about an individual with dementia. The form contains essential things like their name, but also more in-depth details like places they are known to go to, and an up-to-date image of the individual. By using this form, South Yorkshire Police have a head start for locating, identifying, and getting home an individual with dementia who has wandered.

How does Lumiio’s Dementia Wristband Support the Herbert Protocol?

Although the Herbert Protocol is fantastic at supporting police efforts to locate, identify, and reunite those who have wandered with dementia, it is only accessible to members of the police force and other emergency services. This means that when members of the community find an individual lost, confused, or wandering who is unable to communicate how best to help them, they are unable to access the crucial emergency information from the Herbert Protocol to help them. 

To create a more Dementia Friendly South Yorkshire it is crucial for all members of the community to be able to support their most vulnerable members, that’s why South Yorkshire Police contacted assistive technology developer Lumiio.

How Does the South Yorkshire Dementia Wristband Protect Those Who Wander?

When individuals living with dementia are lost or confused in public, they can often struggle with communicating key information to support identifying and supporting them. These information barriers rise to obstruct community members identifying and reuniting missing individuals with dementia that they may find, Lumiio is designed to break them down.

Using NFC technology (Near Field Communication), Lumiio products store vulnerable individuals’ essential information in order to make it securely and easily accessible in emergency situations. Within each Lumiio product is an NFC tag, this interacts with modern smartphones to securely transfer data- like Apple or Google Pay.

To support someone in South Yorkshire who is living with dementia and wandering or confused, you can simply tap and hold any modern smartphone against a Lumiio product to retrieve their name, emergency contact information, and essential details like diagnoses or communication preferences. The South Yorkshire Dementia Wristband, like all Lumiio products, does not need an app to be able to access the data, just a smartphone.

What to Look Out For?

The South Yorkshire Dementia Safeguarding Wristband is in Lumiio’s classic Soft-Touch wristwatch style, in bright dementia yellow with South Yorkshire Police’s logo. See the image below to know exactly what you should look out for!

Interested in Lumiio?

Learn more about previous and ongoing partnerships via our Partnerships Page and Lumiio News. To get in contact with the Lumiio team, reach out at hello@lumiio.io or call 02045511450. If you are looking to partner with Lumiio, fill out this partnership form. Alternatively, view our FAQ page for commonly asked questions and key information.