Introducing Dementia care training in partnership with Age UK

As part of our investment in quality and care, we have been piloting a new training programme introduced by Age UK called ‘Remember Me’, which will help us to develop a better understanding of dementia care. The programme was set up by Age UK in response to the Government’s National Dementia Strategy, which involves a targeted campaign with care home and home care providers to improve diagnosis and post diagnosis support. The ‘Remember Me’ programme focusses on the importance of respecting every individual living with dementia for who they were, who they are, and recognising that same person is still there. It helps care workers to put themselves in the shoes of those they care for and to understand their personal challenges, so that their care can be tailored accordingly. Dementia can cause sufferers to retreat into periods of their past, and the programme helps care workers make sense of their behaviours by understanding where they think they are, allowing them to step back into their reality. We will be running the training programme in three of our care homes initially – Peaker Park, Westerlands and Rutland Care Village – with a view to role the programme out to all of our care homes thereafter. Speaking about the training programme, Vicki Shaw, our Director of Quality Matters, said: ‘This is a really exciting time for PrimeLife. It’s a great programme for us to be involved with and we’re looking forward to seeing some tangible outcomes for our clients. It’s a big investment for us but it’s great to know that the money will be going back into further research, so it will benefit Age UK as well.’ The first round of training is on going until the end of October, and everyone involved is really looking forward to see what positive changes will emerge.