PERU, Ind. – On Wednesday, officers from the Peru Police Department and the Miami County Sheriff’s Office received training on how to recognize and communicate with someone suffering from dementia. The training was hosted by the Peru Police Department and sponsored by the Miami County Prosecutor’s Office. The same training was also hosted last week at the Miami County Sheriff’s Office. Miami County Prosecutor Bruce Embrey had recently seen a presentation at a Peru Rotary meeting and felt it would be great training for local law enforcement. The training was presented by Peru resident Carrie Gallahan. Carrie is the Director of Operations in the Midwest for Compass Senior Living, located in Eugene, Oregon. Carrie has over 15 years of experience in the senior living industry and a healthcare background. She is a licensed administrator, Certified Validation Worker, Dementia Trainer, and a passionate elder advocate. The two hour training covered the various stages of dementia, how to recognize possible signs of a person with dementia and how to communicate and assist someone with dementia. Gallahan stressed the need for empathy when talking to someone with dementia and the importance of developing a connection. She was able to provide officers with numerous examples of encounters she has had with someone suffering from dementia. For more information about dementia, you can visit www.alz.org. After the dementia training, officers also received a legal update presented by the entire Miami County Prosecutor’s Office. Various topics were covered including search and seizure of juveniles, drug interdiction and the use of police K9’s and the dangers of fentanyl and carfentanil.