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Dementia Training – How to Get it Right

Dementia awareness training should be seen as fundamental by everyone working in care. This is because in the UK, an estimated 850,000 people currently live with dementia and by 2025, this figure is expected to rise to 1 million and will double by 2050. This combined with the continuous rise in the average lifespan means that care workers and other professionals working in health and social care must have the vital skills and wisdom to look after people living with the condition.

The best way to get all of your employees in your care service on the same page is to implement dementia training as part of your mandatory learning and development agenda. There are many ways to put this into effect and in this article, we will be taking a closer look into what the courses involve, the benefits of dementia training and how to get it right.

With over 30 years of experience digitising health and social care businesses across the world, when it comes to implementing dementia training in your care service successfully, we at The Access Group have the expertise you need to succeed.

Homecare Residential Care Social Care

Posted 12/05/2023

Dementia Training Courses – What Do They Involve?

While we can’t speak for every accredited dementia training course, most resources will contain a certain set of information. This ensures that it covers all areas to give care workers the information they need to gain vital skills and confidence. Most training resources will cover all three mandated components of dementia, which are:

  • General awareness of the signs and symptoms of dementia.
  • Risk reduction, raining awareness that ‘what is good for your heart is good for your brain.’
  • Signposting to places to find out more information about dementia.

There will be various dementia training resources that you can use including presentations for training events, videos, leaflets, evidence and World Health Organisation guidance. You should make all of the information and resources available to your team and they should be able to access most of the information online. You should also consider an eLearning platform to keep their knowledge up to date.

Benefits of Dementia Training

Dementia training in health and social care is essential. The number of people living with dementia in the UK is rising and taking a dementia training course will help those working in the sector understand more about the degenerative disorder and the different effects that it has on individuals. Sudden mood changes, memory loss and confusion are common effects of dementia, which can be difficult to deal with and understand by those who don’t have sufficient knowledge of the illness. Other benefits of dementia training include:

  • Increases knowledge and raises awareness about dementia in the care industry.
  • Improves the quality of life and care for service users with dementia.
  • Helps professionals learn how they should treat and respond to people with dementia.
  • Gives staff a chance to develop essential communication skills to build trust and confidence.
  • Allows employees to feel like they are doing a better job by meeting the needs of service users.
  • The same skill set can be transferred to other groups e.g. people with additional needs.
  • Can help professionals provide support to relatives and loved ones.
  • Opens doors for those in the care industry who are skilled and interested in dementia.
  • Helps your care service deliver higher quality care
  • Encourages empathy, understanding and a person-centred care approach

Choosing the Right Dementia Training for Carers

The right method of dementia training for carers in your care service will vary depending on a variety of factors including; the average age of workers, their availability, the size of your business and your budget (to name a few). All courses you consider should be endorsed by a credible awarding body like Skills for Care and they should follow the Dementia Training Standards Framework.

However, before choosing the right training method for your care service, you need to ensure your staff will be engaged in learning, training and development. Being open about your plans to implement this training, what it involves and the benefits is key to creating a positive attitude amongst staff. To prepare and motivate your team and choose the right provider and course, you’ll need to research the following:

  • The best care training provider for you – Look at their website and online presence, read reviews and feedback, ask current users and the provider questions, make sure all of the information is up to date and ensure that they are endorsed by a credible awarding body.
  • Online care training vs. in-person learning – Make sure you understand what both forms of training are, the pros and cons of each method and whether it’s in your budget to implement both (as this blended approach has proven to be the most successful).

Dementia Bus Training

A unique approach to learning and development, dementia bus training was put in place to allow NHS staff to experience what it’s like to have dementia. They create this simulation by getting people to complete a series of basic daily activities while dimming their senses e.g. getting them to wear thick gloves, dark sunglasses and headphones. There is also a virtual option that you can consider. 

Dementia Champion Training

Another form of learning to consider is dementia champion training. This involves utilising staff members who have a special interest in dementia and who want to improve the experience and care of people with dementia in the workplace. The dementia champions are encouraged to attend higher levels of training and attend special dementia champion meetings regularly.

As well as improving the lives of service users with dementia, dementia champions will be able to support their colleagues with dementia awareness training. They will be able to help build a more empathetic workforce, as they will hold and promote a better understanding of the feelings and needs of others. Dementia champions also have the freedom to share their passion with others.

Dementia Training Standards Framework

If you are looking for a detailed resource that contains information surrounding essential skills and knowledge across the health and social care spectrum, look no further than the Dementia Training Standards Framework. There are three tiers known as; Awareness, Basic Skills and Leadership. It’s extremely well-referenced and can be used by people with dementia, educationalists and professionals.

Why Use the Dementia Training Standards Framework?

The framework was assigned and underwritten by the Department of Health and established in collaboration with Skills for Health and Health Education England (HEE) together with Skills for Care. An Expert Group consisting of a wide array of health and social care organisations, education providers and relevant Royal Colleges guided the development of the framework.

Transferable and applicable core skills and knowledge have been set out by the framework. These include projected learning outcomes for training delivery, fundamental legal and policy references, and it’s aligned with relevant national occupational standards. The framework aims to ensure high-quality and consistent dementia training that will help prevent the needless repetition of training.

Dementia Training for Carers

Getting dementia training right requires consistency, persistence and commitment. Keeping your carers in the loop when it comes to the benefits of dementia training, the type of training you’re planning to implement, and what the courses involve is key to ensuring your team goes into their learning and development prepared and motivated with a positive attitude.

Our A-Z Care Regulations and Compliance series cover key topics in care compliance and regulations under each letter of the alphabet. Our ‘D is for Dementia’ guide has been created to help you gain an understanding of dementia, how the senses of those with dementia will change and how you can adapt your approach to making them feel comfortable and provide better care and support. It is a great resource for care workers, managers and leaders in care.

If you want your care employees to remain interested, engaged and up-to-date on their dementia training, then you should invest in an eLearning platform. Our eLearning for Health and Social Care at The Access Group helps to make training more manageable, engaging and cost-effective and we even have a dementia awareness training course. The platform has also been endorsed by Skills for Care.

We have been digitising all kinds of businesses for over 30 years. Whether you have a start-up or an international organisation, no project is too big or too small, so you can rely on us. You can learn more about our eLearning for health and social care courses here. If you want to know more about our eLearning management system for health and social care, contact us today and book a demo.