PrimeLife Works with Age UK Training to Roll Out Dementia Focused Training Course
Leading care home group, PrimeLife Ltd, is trialling a new dementia focused training course in several of its UK care homes.
Working with Age UK Training, the training arm of the UK’s leading charity for older people, it will be carried out at three of PrimeLife’s care homes including Peaker Park in Leicestershire, Westerlands in East Riding, and Rutland Care Village in Oakham.
PrimeLife is committed to eventually rolling the project out across all of its Specialist Dementia care homes nationwide.
Developed and run by Age UK Training, the Remember Me course has been designed to encourage better understanding amongst social and health care practitioners who support older people living with dementia.
The course places participants in the shoes of a person living with dementia, providing valuable insight into the challenges faced and giving users first-hand experience to help them understand what it feels like to live with the condition.
By running the course PrimeLife aims to help its employees, working in residential and nursing homes, to better understand the personal challenges of their residents, so that care can be tailored accordingly.
PrimeLife’s Director of Quality Matters, Vicki Shaw, said: “We are pleased to be working with Age UK Training, part of the UK’s largest charity dedicated to helping everyone make the most of later life. We believe the training is going to make a real difference to our clients. Everything we do is for our residents and we welcome anything which might help make their lives that little bit easier.”
Hugh Forde, Director of Training at Age UK Training, said: “With the number of people living with dementia predicted to rise, we recognise the need for better support to improve the quality of life for both older people living with dementia and those caring for them. We’re delighted to offer our Remember Me training, offering a deeper understanding of what it is like for people living with dementia.”
There are currently more than 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK, with that number set to rise to over 1.4m and tripling the cost of care to £50bn in the next 30 years.
Using real case studies and practical learning methods including role play, interactive workshops and art sessions, the Remember Me Age UK Training represents the importance of understanding every individual living with dementia for who they are and respecting their individuality.
Delivered by Age UK’s expert trainers, who draw upon years of frontline experience, the programme is taught via five Foundation modules, covering topics such as effective communication, emotional well-being and daily living assistance, offering a better understanding of the situations that might arise when caring for someone with dementia and highlighting how professionals can best possible support older people.
Modules can be personalised to suit the needs of different care professionals and can be spread over time.
