The Caring Corner®

Dementia Training in the Workplace

November 18, 2015

Several counties in New Jersey are addressing dementia in the community. A Senior Care company is offering free employee training to local businesses on how to recognize and respond to customers with dementia in restaurants, banks, drug stores and other workplaces. There is a growing need to demystify dementia and educate people on how to deal with it. The company goes into the workplace and has a 30 minute training session to educate employees on how to recognize and deal with dementia sufferers.

 

The session addresses redirection if the dementia patient is having trouble communicating or offering a couple of choices if they cannot decide what to eat in a restaurant for instance. Restaurants often have long-time customers who they see decline over time. The staff is taught to address them in comforting tones and to respect the feelings of the customer. Banks should also be alerted if a dementia patient tries to withdraw more money than what is in the account or more money than they normally would. Even police need to understand the needs of dementia patients and how to recognize when they need help.

 

Often times it is not just the patient who experiences problems, but also the caretaker. It may often be too uncomfortable to go out to eat or to a movie when you are not sure how to handle a bad situation with the loved one. Businesses with the specialized training make caregivers feel more welcome because they know that people will understand. As the baby boomers age, this is going to become a major issue and welcoming caregiver and dementia patients is one way to prevent the isolation associated with the disease with a little understanding and patience.

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