Dementia Awareness Training

This training course gives caregivers a better understanding of dementia types, symptoms and stages. By learning more about the condition, carers can offer more effective, personalised support to those living with dementia.

Healthcare workers, caregivers, and anyone else affected by dementia will benefit from learning more about the condition and how to support those living with it.

Professionals working in health and social care settings need an awareness of dementia and its symptoms, as well as support strategies.

This course helps you recognise the condition and manage symptoms. It also outlines person-centred care approaches for patients accessing health services for extended periods.

Training helps staff manage challenging behaviours, maintain patient dignity and create dementia-friendly environments. Caregivers will be better equipped to provide consistent, effective care that reassures service users and helps prevent escalations.

These improvements benefit both patients and care providers.

Awareness training can help carers recognise and anticipate challenging behaviours and respond appropriately.

Our online Dementia Awareness Training course also covers self-care. It reinforces the need for caregivers to look after themselves and provides simple strategies for managing stress and anxiety.

The 4 R’s are a practical way to respond to distress and behaviour changes in dementia care. The most widely used version is Reassure, Reconsider, Redirect and Relax:

• Reassure — offer calm comfort and a sense of safety rather than correcting or arguing
• Reconsider — adjust your own approach, communication and expectations as the person’s needs change
• Redirect — gently guide attention to a calming or familiar activity when someone becomes anxious or agitated
• Relax — stay calm yourself, as your manner directly affects how the person responds

The 4 R’s are a caregiving technique rather than a formal clinical framework, and you may see slightly different versions of the four words.

The 6 C’s are the core values expected of everyone working in health and social care. Introduced by NHS England, they apply across the sector and are widely used to guide dementia care:

• Care — putting the person’s needs and dignity first
• Compassion — treating people with empathy, kindness and respect
• Competence — having the knowledge and skills to meet each person’s needs
• Communication — listening and sharing information clearly, including with families
• Courage — speaking up and doing the right thing, even when it is difficult
• Commitment — working consistently to improve care and outcomes

The 7 A’s describe the main ways dementia can affect the brain and a person’s abilities. Recognising them helps carers understand behaviour and respond appropriately:

• Anosognosia — not recognising that anything is wrong, often mistaken for denial
• Amnesia — memory loss, usually beginning with short-term memory
• Aphasia — difficulty with language, including speaking and understanding
• Agnosia — difficulty recognising objects, people or sounds through the senses
• Apraxia — difficulty carrying out purposeful or coordinated movements
• Altered perception — misinterpreting information from the senses
• Apathy — loss of interest or difficulty starting activities

A person with dementia may not experience all seven, and they can appear in combination.

This course takes approximately 50 minutes to complete. It’s designed to provide essential awareness in a clear and accessible format. You can complete it at your own pace, using either a smartphone, tablet or computer.

The course is priced at £25.00 + VAT for a single trainee. Discounted rates are available for bulk purchases. Click on ‘Discount’ beneath the ‘Buy Now’ button for more details.