Older adults mental health and dementia

What is dementia?

Dementia is a term used to describe various different brain disorders that have in common a loss of brain function that is usually progressive and eventually severe.

There are many types of dementia. The most common are:

• Alzheimer's disease

• vascular dementia

• dementia with Lewy bodies

Find out more information about dementia, treatment and support at Alzheimer's Society:

• What is dementia? 

• What is Alzheimer's disease? 

• What is vascular dementia? 

• Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB): what is it and what causes it? 

• Dementia Friends 

See also Alzheimers Scotland.

If you think that you or someone you know or care for has dementia, you should contact your GP for diagnosis.

The Herbert Protocol

The Herbert Protocol was introduced by Police Scotland in 2021. It is an information-gathering tool to assist finding missing people living with dementia, quickly.

A form can be maintained, to include places of importance, often-visited places and a recent photograph of the person living with dementia. It should then be stored within their home address and produced to the police in the unfortunate event that they have been reported missing. This saves the police a lot of time noting down details, meaning they can spend more time searching for the missing person. Ownership and responsibility for updating the form remains with the family or carer.

Following its introduction in Scotland, the Herbert Protocol has been used many times to trace missing people with dementia and return them home. It is an example of how emergency and care services are working together to keep those with dementia safe.

Find out more about the Herbert Protocol at Police Scotland, including the downloadable form.