Leeds Beckett Professor calls for mandatory dementia training at Westminster parliamentary event

Professor Sarah Smith is part of a team, led by Professor Claire Surr, who have produced guidance about what good dementia training looks like in 'what works' in dementia education and training.

The research found that training design, content and delivery all appeared to contribute to successful training. Good training left staff feeling more confident and empowered to deliver person-centred care as well as more empathic towards people with dementia.

It also showed that staff needed a supportive organisational context and learning culture, strong dedicated dementia training and practice leadership, a dedicated training space and a physical environment that is supportive of good dementia care.

Professor Claire Surr, who leads the Centre for Dementia Research, said: "The 'what works' study identified what well designed and delivered dementia training looks like, and also that it is important that training is evidence-based, high quality and that staff are able and supported to put it into practice for training to represent good value for money.

"Evidence-based training programmes like NIDUS (home care) and WHELD (care homes) demonstrate how high-quality training can impact care practices and can then be cost neutral or actually save money in the care system."

Around one million people are living with dementia in the UK, making them one of the biggest groups drawing on social care. According to Alzheimer's Society nearly 60% of people receiving care at home and 70% of people living in older age residential care have dementia. Dementia is progressive and there is no cure. It affects memory, problem-solving, language and communication so care needs to be tailored. Most dementia care is provided through social care rather than the NHS, yet only 29% of care workers in England have received any dementia training.

Professor Surr is one of the experts who has contributed to a report by the Alzheimer's Society about dementia training.

Katie Griffin, whose dad Alan is living with vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease, said: "My dad is 84 and in the final stages of dementia. He can no longer speak more than a few words and needs all care provided, 24 hours a day, from moving, being fed, washed and all decisions made for him. He is cared for at home by carers provided by various agencies.

"I have to put my faith now in those that give care to my dad and when I am not there, I have no way to tell if my dad is happy and safe. Dad has needed full care at home for five years now and so I have seen both good and poor care and I cannot emphasise the difference it makes to us as a whole family when care is at its best to when it is not.

"I need to know that dad is cared for by people who understand dementia and recognise that dementia causes a person to maybe act in way that they didn't used to or that may be inappropriate and to be caring and compassionate in this understanding.

"The quality of dementia care is inconsistent which I feel could be addressed by mandatory dementia training. Dementia itself varies and changes and at the heart of it is a person who in time can no longer speak for themselves."

Dara de Burca, Executive Director of Dementia Support and Partnerships at Alzheimer's Society, said: "We all want the best possible care for the people we love. Our research shows investing in dementia training reaps significant benefits and is cost-effective. It can reduce agitation in people with dementia, cut emergency hospital admissions and GP visits and the inappropriate use of antipsychotic drugs.

"Dementia is the biggest health and social care issue of our time, costing the UK £42 billion per year, but it isn't the priority it should be amongst decision makers. We're calling on the UK Government to take urgent steps to improve dementia care by making dementia training mandatory for the adult social care workforce."

To download Alzheimer's Society's dementia training report, visit the Alzheimer's Society website.