BATON ROUGE — A free online training program offered by the Alzheimer's Association could help Louisiana first responders better prepare to handle calls involving people living with dementia.

State Fire Marshal Chad Sonnier says there was a time during his career when that kind of specialized training was not readily available.

"They were, you know, didn't really understand, not comprehending what we were asking of them. At the time, we didn't know we had someone dealing with Alzheimer's or dementia. We didn't have the tools we have today, so we were both at a disadvantage," Sonnier said.

The Alzheimer's Association says 95,000 people over the age of 65 in Louisiana are currently living with Alzheimer's. Nationally, more than 7 million Americans live with the disease.

The association is now offering a specialized training program aimed at first responders. Tatiana Gonzalez Quiroga, the Alzheimer's Association Southeast Government Relations Director, says the need for this kind of training grows across the state.

"We're going to see a significant rise in people living with dementia, so law enforcement or other members of the first responder community are going to need to know how to interact with them. It's going to become more common," Gonzalez Quiroga said.

The Alzheimer's Association says six in 10 people diagnosed with dementia will wander away at least once. Gonzalez Quiroga says that's exactly why these skills matter.

"If they're showing signs of confusion, they might be disoriented, they might be combative or not able to explain where home is, so for them to have the skills necessary to communicate with them or how to connect with their caregiver," she said. "It's really important."

More information on the online self-paced training can be found here.