A company that provides at-home care for older people is offering free training workshops to families whose loved ones are affected by Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
Workshops will be taking place at the Residents’ Lounge, Rheart y Chrink, Port Erin, tonight (Monday) at 6.30pm and St John Ambulance HQ on Glencrutchery Road, Douglas, on Friday at 2pm and 6pm.
The Isle of Man is one the first places in the British Isles where these family workshops are being introduced by Home Instead Senior Care.
The family training workshops were adapted from City & Guilds-accredited dementia training programme, specifically developed for Home Instead’s caregivers.
Explaining the rationale behind the training programmes Emer Wiseman from Home Instead said: ‘People prefer to remain at home and this is particularly relevant for dementia sufferers who benefit from familiar surroundings and routines. However, when family members must take on the role of being the main carer they can often become overwhelmed, physically and mentally with the uncertainties and pressures of caring for a loved one.
‘The Home Instead family workshops will teach people to identify the typical signs of dementia and gain a better understanding of the condition. It will also arm family carers and others in the community with effective techniques for managing the many different and sometimes challenging behaviours associated with dementia including refusal, delusions, aggression, false accusations, wandering and agitation.
‘The workshops will not just be limited to family members however, they will be available to local people living and working in the community, in fact, they will be accessible to anyone who may interact with someone with dementia. Our aim is to reach out to everyone in the local community.’
With an ageing population, cases of dementia are increasing at an alarming rate, which means that more and more people will be affected by the disease at some point in their lives. The workshops will give individuals the knowledge to positively embrace the journey they face, rather than being afraid of it and allow them to share their knowledge and experiences with others. This will have a huge impact on the community and help to make a dementia friendly society.
Co-owners, Emer and Phil Wiseman, have also been involved in local fundraising for dementia, raising money for both Alzheimer’s Society and Manx Decaf, a social club for dementia sufferers and their families and carers.
The Isle of Man office of Home Instead Senior Care is part of a network of over 135 independently owned and operated offices. For further information on the Alzheimer’s free family workshops or to register your place call: 822545 or visit www.homeinstead.im
