Dementia in care homes is extremely common, but not every facility offers adequate specialised training to their staff.
If we consider that, in the UK, we are expected to see an increase to 940,000 people living with dementia by 2021 and 1,735,087 by 2051, it is clear that this situation must be addressed sooner rather than later.
The Current Situation of Dementia in Care Homes
Statistically, at least half of their patients (55.8% in residential and 77% in nursing homes) have it or will develop it at some point.
While all residents should always receive adequate care, it is important to note that patients with dementia in care homes will need more attention.
For example, it is vital that the staff are able to recognise the first symptoms in order to diagnose it early on.
These patients might feel stressed or scared when they realise that they cannot remember certain things nor concentrate, and dementia will also affect the way they communicate.
Furthermore, they do not always realise that they are thirsty: if not properly cared for, dementia patients could easily go hours without drinking. This dehydration makes them more prone to other health problems or illnesses, ranging from headaches to urinary tract infections.
Why is there a Lack of Dementia Training in Care Homes
Sadly, caring for dementia patients in the care home did not seem to be a priority for the Department of Health until they created the Dementia Training Standards Framework in 2015 (updated in 2018).
It is not a coincidence that, before this useful resource, 50% of carers and dementia patients felt that they did not receive adequate and sufficient support.
Still, even after its release, only 38% of care staff have gone through dementia training.
While 43% of all care workers have specifically requested it, over half of their applications have been turned down.
This suggests that dementia training is still not a priority for all care homes, either because its importance has not been acknowledged or perhaps because they do not believe they can afford it.
However, this should not be the case: there are lots of free and affordable resources that make dementia training accessible to every facility.
Training Resources to Help Caring for Demantia Patients in the Care Home
Training for dementia in care homes is essential whether or not you already have some patients that have been diagnosed with it. From rapid mood swings to being confused about time, it is also important that your carers can recognise its early symptoms.
To help them familiarise themselves with this syndrome, you can begin with introductory resources that are available for free on the Alzheimer’s Association website.
While it is currently not possible due to the coronavirus pandemic, in future you will also be able to organise in-person training, should you wish to.
However, it might be that your main concerns are costs and logistics. Perhaps it would be expensive and time-consuming to rearrange your staff’s rota to let them attend these classes?
In that case, online and distance learning are the best solution for your care home.
SET YOUR CARE HOME STAFF UP FOR SUCCESS
Explore our range of training courses, designed to improve care sector employee knowledge.
We offer a comprehensive but affordable Online Dementia Awareness course. CPD-certified, it covers a variety of essential topics. From a thorough understanding of the way it affects patients to the importance of the right type of communication and methods to improve their wellbeing, this training course will give your staff the tools to provide adequate care to dementia patients.
As well as affordability, a great advantage of online training is that you do not need to worry about having all your staff members available at the same time and place for an in-person session. They will all be able to take the online course individually at their own pace.
Since we know that some professionals prefer learning from books, we also offer another option: distance learning with our Level 2 Award Dementia Awareness course.
It covers the different types of dementia and their symptoms, the importance of a person-centred approach, safeguarding, health & wellbeing, communication, medication alternatives, a carer’s responsibilities, and all the relevant legislation around it.
A Sustainable approach to Dementia Training in Care Homes
Since pre-existing problems like increased costs and a 30.8% staff turnover rate can be a concern, it is important to incorporate dementia training in a sustainable way.
For example, we recommend making digital learning part of your induction programme. This will help you keep the costs down while ensuring that everyone who works at your care home is fully qualified.
Once an employee has stayed for a couple of years, you can then offer them a more in-depth distance learning option as a refresher course.
Dementia in care homes might be a growing problem but, with adequate training, your staff can truly help these patients in the best way possible for them.
