Richmond City Sheriff's Office Dementia and Developmental Disabilities Program

Lead Applicant: City of Richmond, Sheriff’s Office (RCSO)

Service Area: Richmond, Virginia

Priority Consideration 1(A): Please refer to Page 14-15 of the Grant Proposal Narrative.

Purpose: 

The RCSO seeks to establish a comprehensive, locally based, proactive program to locate or prevent the wandering of individuals with forms of dementia, or developmental disabilities. The RCSO is looking to expand its Project Lifesaver and Are You Ok programs which serve individuals who suffer from cognitive disabilities. The program seeks to 1) increase public awareness of missing persons with forms of dementia, 2) provide training to families or guardians of individuals who might wander from a safe environment, and 3) establish partnerships in an effort to prevent persons with cognitive disabilities from wandering and 4) establish early detection of cognitive impairment in the Richmond City Justice Center.

Program/Strategy:

Expand outreach, marketing, education, and locative technology to increase program enrollment, promote cognitive disabilities awareness in the community, and increase safety among program participants
Develop a new internal program to identify and assist inmates suffering from early or progressive stages of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease as well as other forms of cognitive impairment or intellectual disability.
Expand partnerships to provide staff and caregiver training, and expanded outreach and education in the community.

Partnerships:

The agencies identified by the RCSO include but are not limited to the Greater Richmond Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and the Virginia Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services. The agencies employ a person centered approach which minimizes restrictive interventions. Roles for each will include but not be limited to dementia related event coordination, community education, staff training on interacting with those who suffer from dementia, and family and guardian training on best practices for interaction and are of those who suffer from dementia.

Anticipated Outcomes:

Increased participation in the RCSO Project Lifesaver and Are You Ok programs
Reduction of risk of injury, or death for those in the program who suffer from forms of dementia
Increase in safety and quality of care of individuals who suffer from forms of dementia
Increase in early detection of cognitive impairment in the Richmond City Justice Center population
Increased safety and well-being of caregivers, families, and guardians of those who suffer from forms of dementia
Increase in the number of RCSO staff trained in best practices for interaction and care of those who suffer from forms of dementia