STAFF at a Devon care provider are showing their support and helping to raise awareness about the importance of society’s ‘hidden’ carers as part of National Dementia Carers’ Day next month (September, 2018).
National Dementia Carers’ Day, part of World Alzheimer’s Month, takes place on September 9 and recognises and celebrates informal dementia carers, while highlighting what it means to be a carer.
Guardian Homecare’s Regional Manager, Katie Jewell, whose team of carers work in Exeter, Barnstaple and Torbay, said: “Here at Guardian Homecare we employ dementia carers who work tirelessly in their roles to provide care for service users in the community, however we are all well aware that there are thousands of ‘hidden’ carers out there who are providing care for loved-ones and don’t receive any recognition or even payment for what they do.
“The focus of this year’s National Dementia Carers’ Day is to spread awareness and show support for all those carers, so we’re offering them any help and advice they may need, all they need to do is give us a call on 01803 853198. Our expert staff will be happy to chat to them about caring roles and share experiences and tips and generally offer any support they can.
“If any ‘hidden’ carers would like to know more about our respite care services or our dementia and live-in care services in order to take the pressure off themselves, they can give us a call.”
National Dementia Carers’ Day is now in its fourth year and support organisations, charities and community groups are being urged to get behind the campaign by spreading awareness and helping to signpost sources of advice and support using #NDCD18.
The day is part of World Alzheimer’s Month, which highlights the importance of early detection and diagnosis of dementia. According to the Alzheimer’s Society, there are currently 850,000 people with dementia in the UK, with numbers set to rise to more than one million by 2025. One in six people aged 80 plus have dementia.
More than 225,000 people will develop dementia this year, which is one every three minutes.
Katie added: “We ensure that all of our social care workers are given training on managing the challenging behaviours associated with dementia including accusations, aggression, delusions, repetitive behaviour, suspicion and shouting.
“We are passionate about empowering our carers with the best possible skills and knowledge. Our training starts at the very beginning of a carer’s career and then continues throughout their employment using a personal development plan which includes a specialist dementia care training programme.”
Guardian Homecare’s team of trained, specialist, care workers provide positive-based outcomes and person-centred care to people throughout Devon.
“A person with dementia wants to remain as independent as possible without having to move into a strange environment and therefore losing their home and beloved pets.
“Experts advise that people with the condition should try to keep their autonomy and continue their daily routine and we advise this too. To help with this issue we employ and train carers especially with dementia in mind. They provide 24-hour support and encourage independence, as well as offer kindness and understanding.
“It is important that individuals have the option to live independently while receiving support and do not feel they have to move into residential care.”
Guardian Homecare offers one-to-one bespoke support for people living with dementia, so they do not need to leave their familiar surroundings or pets.
Katie continued: “Although we have a team of more than 140 carers already in Devon we’re looking currently for more recruits and are keen to hear from people who are honest, committed, reliable and caring.
“We offer new recruits a five-day training induction and a 12-week onboard programme working towards a care certificate. We also offer flexible working hours, both full and part-time, as well as competitive wages, generous holiday allocation and a refer a friend scheme.
“It is a great opportunity for people to achieve a recognised qualification and they’ll also be able to have access to exclusive discounts online and in-store from retailers including Tesco, Primark and Argos.”
Anyone wishing to find out more about Guardian Homecare, should call 01803 853198 or visit www.guardianhomecare.org.uk.
