Caring Homes’ Dedicated Dementia Trainer Holds Workshop For Relatives, Friends And Neighbours Of Homefield Grange Care Home
Homefield Grange hosted a training session specifically tailored for residents’ families and members of the local community, designed to offer greater insight into the world of those living with dementia.
At Caring Homes, we provide every single team member with dementia training, with three tiers of learning available through our unique ‘My World’ pathway, which equips our staff to provide the best care possible for those living with dementia.
Our dedicated Dementia Trainer, Christine Elsley, also provides detailed, face to face training for all our care homes on a day-long workshop that’s relatable, accessible and interactive. The first step is understanding that there are many types of dementia, which affect each people in different ways – but it isn’t just our team members who benefit from this insight.
Feedback from our residents’ families and friends told us that they struggled to understand what was happening and found it hard to recognise, and come to terms with, the many ways that living with dementia manifested itself in their loved ones. Christine decided that, as well as holding the required training session for Caring Homes staff, she would also deliver an ‘Understanding Dementia’ workshop for families and the local community – an informal, 2-hour session to address some of the confusion and misconceptions and where questions could be asked freely.
Dementia Workshop For All
Invitations were sent to families and friends of our residents, but we also opened it up to the local community as we have a close relationship with many of our neighbours, especially those who live across the green from Homefield Grange. The evening was informal, with wine, cheese and biscuits presented by chef Marco, but despite the relaxed ambiance, Christine hosted an intuitive and meaningful session, aimed at helping the audience to better understand dementia. Specifically, the goal was to help them realise how someone living with dementia sees the world – and also, that continuing to lead a life full of positive experiences, created around needs of each individual, is a genuine option.
Home Manager, Adina Serban, said: “It was fantastic to see so many faces at the workshop – our residents’ families but also our friends from the community who regularly who pop in for a chat with the residents. It means a lot that everyone who attended came along to learn more about living with dementia - some who have first-hand experience with a loved one, but others who simply wanted to gain a better understanding, and they were all very happy with what they learned from Christine.”
Dementia Trainer, Christine was impressed by the level of engagement throughout the session and the questions afterwards - “I was astonished by how much the participants wanted to find out and I think some re-evaluated what they thought they knew before attending. The session really could have gone on for hours, which tells me there’s a real need to keep offering information and insight into living with dementia, as well as how to be best prepared in a practical sense”.
Adina and the team at Homefield Grange plan keep the lines of communication on dementia open for relatives and the community around the home. Check the Homefield Grange Facebook page for updates.
Discover Homefield Grange Care Home
For more information more about our specialised approach to dementia care at Caring Homes, visit our website where you’ll also find a helpful overview in our ‘My World’ dementia guide.
