Staff at Springhill Care Home in Accrington know what it feels like to be ‘Dementia Champions’ after completing their training.
Care staff Janet Cornthwaite, Denise Walkden, Donna Greenhalgh, Julie Stevenson and Justyna Majcher completed an intense training programme led by Jakki Whitehead, Springhill Care Group’s Admiral Nurse – a specialist in dementia care.
The training covered a range of topics including the facts and figures around dementia such as the amount of people diagnosed and how nutrition and good health can help.
The group learned about the importance of communication in providing good dementia care, and how important life history and meaningful activities are.
Finally, the group presented a case study to directors, managers and trainers at Springhill Care Home, which required a significant amount of planning, writing and rehearsing.
The presentation involved seeking permission to work with residents and family members, before identifying and explaining the resident’s life story and how dementia care and the social care environment has affected them.
Following the training, one of the new Dementia Champions praised the training as ‘emotional but very worthwhile.’
Jakki Whitehad said: “The presentations were very challenging but went extremely well. The case studies were very moving and highlighted the amount of compassion and empathy with which Donna, Julie, Denise, Janet and Justyna work.
“We all agreed that the group highlighted the great work being done at Springhill and we are very proud of them for completing the training.
“From a personal point of view I know how hard our new Dementia Champions needed to work to achieve this standard, and I was delighted to see them presented with their certificates and badges.”
