Dorset residents who look after someone with dementia and are worried that person could leave home and go missing are being urged to use The Herbert Protocol.
The Herbert Protocol is a simple risk reduction tool to help the police in their search for people with dementia who go missing.
It encourages carers or family members of adults living with dementia to collate information on those who are vulnerable on to the Herbert Protocol form, which can be given to the police if they go missing.
The initiative is named after George Herbert, a war veteran of the Normandy landings, who lived with dementia. He died whilst 'missing' trying to find his childhood home.
A Dorset Police spokesman said: "When a person goes missing, it is very distressing for family and friends and can be even more worrying when the missing person has dementia.
"If you believe a person has gone missing and are concerned for their safety, call the police on 999 and tell the police operator that you have a Herbert Protocol."
The Herbert Protocol form can be found on the Dorset Police website.
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