Beyond the Badge: Creating a Blueprint for Community Care

Chris Perry, a Senior Citizen Resource Officer in Ohio, shares the deeply personal experience of losing his mother to dementia in 2018 and how this led to his current role with the Amberley Village Police Department. Officer Perry discusses the early, often subtle signs of his mom’s dementia, the emotional toll of her decline, and his frustration with societal misunderstandings. He advocates for nationwide police training in dementia awareness, highlighting how understanding the disease can lead to more empathetic responses, prevent tragic misunderstandings, and even offer a profound sense of purpose and healing for officers dealing with their own trauma. His work extends to proactive community engagement — assisting seniors with daily tasks, providing practical home safety tips, and offering companionship to combat isolation and loneliness. About this episode’s featured guestChris Perry is a 30-year law enforcement veteran, retired from the Cincinnati Police Department. He now serves as a Senior Citizen Resource Officer for Amberley Village Police Department in Hamilton County, Ohio. His advocacy for dementia awareness and first responder training stems from his personal experience caring for his mother who lived with dementia. He built his unique role with the Amberley Village PD from the ground up, providing 24/7 compassionate, in-home support that blends traditional policing with direct community care. Learn more about Officer Chris Perry’s work with the Amberley Village Senior Safety Program here.About Remo’s host Dr. Emily SilvermanDr. Emily Silverman is an internal-medicine physician, Assistant Volunteer Professor of Medicine at UCSF. She is the creator and host of The Nocturnists, an award-winning medical storytelling program that has uplifted the voices of more than 450 clinicians since 2016 through its podcast and live performances. Her work has been supported by a MacDowell fellowship and widely published in numerous publications including JAMA, The New York Times, and NPR. Learn more about Emily by visiting her website.Connect with usLearn more about Remo Health and how we’re delivering better dementia care to patients and those who care for them. Subscribe to the Remo Health newsletter.Follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook for the latest information, news, and guidance on all things #dementia and #brainhealth. Have a question or a topic you’d like to hear more about? Email us at [email protected] information in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not the practice of medicine or any profession. It is not intended to be medical advice and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.