Hall County deputies take ‘Virtual Dementia Tour’ as training for understanding dementia challenges

HALL COUNTY, Ga. — The Hall County Sheriff’s Office had staff participate in a private event called the “Virtual Dementia Tour” on Friday to help spread understanding and awareness of dementia in the community.

According to the sheriff’s office, it’s an event hosted by the Beyond Dementia Coalition, developed to help communities better understand the challenges faced by those living with dementia.

The Beyond Dementia Coalition was founded by Jill Crunketon, a clinical social worker in Gainesville, Ga., to raise awareness about and acceptance of people with dementia, according to the organization.

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Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch had HCSO personnel take two days to go through the training, including deputies, investigators, jail staff and others.

In total, the sheriff’s office said they had more than 100 members of its staff participate after their colleagues gave a strongly positive response to the activities.

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The event itself was held at Johnson High School, where participants “were outfitted with gear that mimics dementia symptoms, then directed to perform five simple tasks.”

After doing the demonstration mimicking the symptoms of dementia, staff and others took part in a discussion session.

While the event itself was private, HCSO said the Beyond Dementia Coalition will host a community tour on May 22 at Interactive Neighborhood for Kids.

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