Taxi drivers are being trained to help passengers with dementia, in a ground-breaking move by Sevenoaks District Council.
Swanley cabby Robert Challis is among the 30 locally licenced and volunteer drivers who have now attended council-funded sessions, which teach them how to recognise signs of dementia and raise any concerns with 24-hour helplines.
Sevenoaks Council’s cabinet member for health Michele Lowe said: “During the course of their work, taxi drivers encounter hundreds of people, including older and vulnerable customers.
“Some of them may be affected by dementia, others may not even realise they have the condition.
“When a relative or friend of someone living with dementia sees a cabbie with the dementia friendly sticker, they can have confidence that the driver can offer them the best possible service.”
It is dementia week and Hextable residents are invited to attend a free event in the village hall, the Heritage Centre in College Road, from 6pm to 8.30pm on Friday (May 20).
Book a 10-minute one-to-one slot with the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Support Service, a legal advisor or financial advisor on 01732 227000.
One is six people over the age of 80 are now diagnosed with dementia, and a further 45,000 people under the age of 65, with numbers expected to continue to rise.
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