It is with immense pleasure and the utmost honor to announce that behind the scenes, Hernando county has been making enormous strides to become dementia-friendly and—educated.
Little to the general public’s knowledge, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Department and the county’s Department of Health have had me come out and teach dementia awareness classes to their deputies and county employees.
One of the important aspects of the class is that it covers many of the dementia-related diseases, not just Alzheimer’s. It’s crucial that we provide education on the dementias that more prematurely can occur in one’s 50s, for these dementias affect people who are therefore most likely misunderstood. We all comprehend that when someone in his or her 70s develops cognitive issues, it’s in all likelihood Alzheimer’s disease. However, when it suddenly shows its wrath in a person as young as 50, or possibly younger, the first thing that usually comes to mind is behavioral health issues. This unfortunately leads him or her down a long, tiring path of being misdiagnosed, before, with great good fortune, finding the right specialist that can correctly identify the actual cognitive impairment.
Lewy Body dementia, frontotemporal degeneration, vascular dementia, Korsakoff syndrome- these are just a few of the diseases that are shamefully invading people’s lives way too young. All are covered throughout my seminars.
The Sheriff’s Department has added this class to their Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) course. I have recently finished instructing them in my third class and look forward to going back in the fall to do more dementia-awareness educating.
The Hernando County Health Department also had me indoctrinate a mandatory class for about 100 of their employees. It is so refreshing to see this county realize the importance of dementia education in today’s world.
We are now in the forefront of our baby boomers attaining a prime age for many of these dementia-related diseases. The upsurge of dementia-related diagnoses within the next 10 years will be ascending to indecorous levels. Therefore, my hopes are that Hernando county will become a role model for other counties in this state and other states as well.
Another impressive highlight here in this county is back when Bayfront Health Brooksville Hospital was then Brooksville Regional; they became the first hospital in United States to implement the Purple Angel Alzheimer’s/Dementia Hospital Wristband Program using the Purple Angel logo for an “At Risk” symbol for cognitive impairment.
I’m excited to see how far Hernando county will take this leading role in dementia care and awareness. It is so important that we get this right!