Families in Hardeman County’s largest city have a new way to help first responders protect loved ones with memory loss. The City of Bolivar has launched a dementia safety registration program that lets caregivers share key information about a resident with dementia or Alzheimer’s before an emergency happens.
The Bolivar Dementia & Alzheimer’s Safety Registration Program is designed to give police officers, firefighters and dispatchers a head start when they respond to a call involving someone who may be confused, unable to communicate clearly, or prone to wandering.
How the Bolivar Dementia Safety Registration Works
Families or caregivers fill out a Safety Registration Form with important information about their loved one. The completed form stays on file with the city, and copies go to the Hardeman County Emergency Communications District, which runs 9-1-1 dispatch for the county.
That means a dispatcher taking a call, or an officer arriving at a home, can have background on the person they are trying to help. In a situation where someone with dementia has wandered off or is in distress, those first minutes matter.
How to Register
Get a form: pick one up at the Bolivar Police Department or the Bolivar Fire Department, or download it from cityofbolivar.com/police.
Fill it out: complete the form with information about your family member.
Return it: turn it in to Mick Vinson at the Bolivar Police Department or Sarah Rice at the Bolivar Fire Department.
The program is open to Bolivar residents who have a family member living with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Bolivar is the county seat of Hardeman County, which also includes Middleton, and many families on both sides of the state line know someone who is caring for a parent or grandparent with memory loss.
Why It Matters
City officials said they hope the program gives vulnerable residents an added layer of safety and gives families and caregivers some peace of mind. Many caregivers in rural West Tennessee look after aging parents or spouses at home, often with little outside help, and an emergency can come with no warning.
Families who register should consider updating the form whenever something important changes, such as a new address, a new medication or a change in the person’s condition, so responders always have current information. Questions about the program can go to the Bolivar Police Department or Bolivar Fire Department.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
