Charity calls for mandatory dementia training for all care home staff

The charity is calling for mandatory dementia training for all care staff, with an end to the idea of the traditional 'old folks' home. The report comes at the start of a major campaign to improve the quality of life of almost a quarter of a million people living with dementia in residential care.

The Alzheimer's Society's Home From Home report calls for care homes to begin operating as specialist dementia care providers. Research shows a typical person with dementia in a care home spends just two minutes in every six hours socially interacting with other people - most of these residents are in the advanced stages of dementia and rely on the support of trained staff.

The Home From Home report features a survey of more than 3,500 people, including relatives of people with dementia, care home staff and managers. The survey shows;

• More than half of people with a relative in residential care say there is not enough for the person with dementia to do each day
• Over one in four family carers feel they do not receive enough information about the care and treatment of the person they care for
• Care home staff say providing care that improves the quality of life of residents with dementia is the top factor in job satisfaction

Neil Hunt, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society, says,

'Hundreds of thousands of people with dementia are living in residential care and yet the majority of staff do not have adequate training. We hear the horror stories, but also the hope among people with dementia and their carers about the difference good dementia care can make.

Care homes must operate as specialist care providers with dementia training a mandatory requirement for all staff. Dementia training ensures care staff understand the reality of the condition as well as the positive impact they can have on people living with a diagnosis and their carers.'

Connie Harris, from Essex, cares for her partner Lionel. She says,

'Lionel has lived in two different care homes since he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. He left one after two weeks because staff failed to make the simplest checks on his personal care. Where he is now the staff see Lionel as a person and have the skills to support his medical needs. There is no comparison between them and the huge effect good dementia care has had on both on our lives.'

ENDS

For more information, contact the Alzheimer's Society press office.

Key facts

• A typical person with dementia in a care home spends two minutes in every six hours interacting with other people. The study of social interaction includes talking or meaningful conversation outside of everyday care tasks. The research is based on observations of different behaviour categories in people with dementia in care homes.
• One in three care home managers say they have little or no support from local older people's mental health services.
• There are 133,354 dementia-registered beds in care homes in England, Wales and Northern Ireland - 40 per cent of people with dementia in care homes will be in non dementia-registered beds.
• The Alzheimer's Society Putting Care Right campaign aims to provide an up-to-date understanding of carers' perceptions of the quality of dementia care and recommends actions to bring the quality of all homes up to that of the best.

Notes for editors

• 1 in 3 older people will end their lives with a form of dementia
• 700,000 people in the UK have a form of dementia, more than half have Alzheimer's disease. In less than 20 years nearly a million people will be living with dementia. This will soar to 1.7 million people by 2051. 1 in 6 people over 80 have dementia.· The Alzheimer's Society champions the rights of people living with dementia and those who care for them. The Alzheimer's Society works in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
• As a charity, the Alzheimer's Society depends on the generosity of the public to help it care, research and campaign for people with dementia. You can donate now by calling 0845 306 0898 or visiting www.alzheimers.org.uk
• The Alzheimer's Society Dementia Helpline number is 0845 300 0336 or visit www.alzheimers.org.uk.

Read the report

• Download the full Home from Home report
• Download the executive summary of the Home from Home report