Fairmile Grange care home is now offering an eye-opening dementia awareness programme, The Dementia Champions Training, to local healthcare professionals.

The fully immersive experience was initially launched at Great Oaks care home in Bournemouth, which is also managed by Encore care homes, last year. Due to the programme being so well received at Great Oaks, Encore has extended this opportunity to healthcare professionals in Christchurch.

The purpose of the training is to enable people to experience and increase their understanding of the behaviours of those with dementia; helping them to communicate and connect better with them.

During the session, each person is fitted with a full jumpsuit, which has been designed to make the participant experience the physical and sensory hindrances of older age. In its ambition to become a dementia resource for the community, Fairmile Grange aims to offer this free training to the local community in upcoming sessions.

Rachel Dryden, Chief Executive Officer of Encore, said: “The response we have had from those who attended The Dementia Champions Training at Great Oaks has been fantastic.

“We held our first session at Fairmile Grange earlier this month and were joined by a range of healthcare professionals, who found the course incredibly insightful and valuable. As a care provider, we see it as our obligation to discover new ways to raise awareness of dementia and the impact it has on a person’s life and their loved ones. Ultimately, the only way to comprehend the effects of dementia is to experience it first-hand.”

The Dementia Champions Training is a complimentary programme and run by Informed Dementia Care.

Rachel added: “We hope healthcare professionals, as well as the local community in future training sessions, continue to utilise this opportunity and we look forward to welcoming attendees to our forthcoming sessions.”

https://encorecarehomes.co.uk/fairmilegrange