Taxi Driver Online

Swanley taxi drivers become dementia friendly in ground-breaking council scheme


Taxi drivers are being trained to help passengers with dementia, in a ground-breaking move by Sevenoaks District Council.

Swanley cabby Robert Challis is among the 30 locally licenced and volunteer drivers who have now attended council-funded sessions, which teach them how to recognise signs of dementia and raise any concerns with 24-hour helplines.

Sevenoaks Council’s cabinet member for health Michele Lowe said: “During the course of their work, taxi drivers encounter hundreds of people, including older and vulnerable customers.

“Some of them may be affected by dementia, others may not even realise they have the condition.

“When a relative or friend of someone living with dementia sees a cabbie with the dementia friendly sticker, they can have confidence that the driver can offer them the best possible service.”

It is dementia week and Hextable residents are invited to attend a free event in the village hall, the Heritage Centre in College Road, from 6pm to 8.30pm on Friday (May 20).

Book a 10-minute one-to-one slot with the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Support Service, a legal advisor or financial advisor on 01732 227000.

One is six people over the age of 80 are now diagnosed with dementia, and a further 45,000 people under the age of 65, with numbers expected to continue to rise.

source: http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/dartf ... il_scheme/

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

So we are to become Paramedics as well as social workers...whatever next.

On top of Child exploitation workers, Marriage Guidance Councillor etc etc,

ffs, when is all this chit gonna end? do people not realise we are there to drive ? , we are supposed to be concentrating on the fooking road not whet nursing everyone who wants a taxi ride, i couldn't care less about the punters, they get out & i will rarely see them again ( suppose its different with repeat work though) honestly, its going too far now like

Its not going to end.

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

so with no training on how to deal with it how would you cope with a passenger with dementia getting into your taxi and being unable to tell you where they are going to ?

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

You get it a fair bit, theyve forgotten theyve booked you, they forget the Times, they double book, they wander off never to be seen again, they get on wrong trains.....It's a nightmare for both them and you, but it's still not our Job to be their carers, there are people getting paid 5 times more than us to do that abd besides some of these people can lash oput when confused, angry or upset.

No, We just pick em up and drop em off...that's our job.


Training or no training if they cant tell you where they are going then no amount of training will make any difference...drop em at a police station if you can find one open.

Jeeeze....Ive had that situation many a time on a Fri/Sat night! Unless it is a tourist/stranger to the City.......tarra.

As for becoming Mother Teresa - they can dream as much as they like.

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Common sense........is just not that Common.

so with no training on how to deal with it how would you cope with a passenger with dementia getting into your taxi and being unable to tell you where they are going to ?

ffs , it wouldn't happen mate , i was driving taxis the first stint for about 7 years, this stint about 6 , never had 1 fare that i had this issue with at all, load of crap tbh , if any son/daughter lets there parents out alone who is suffering from dementia, sorry it falls on them imho, if i did have a fare & he didn't know where he/she was going i would just throw him out, i have work to do after all & its not my fooking job!!! im a taxi driver thats it !!!!!