Raising the Bar: Dementia Training for Care Professionals in Yeovil

September marks World Alzheimer’s Month, a time to raise awareness and highlight the importance of quality dementia care. At Home Instead Yeovil, Sherborne, and Bridport, we take immense pride in standing out for our exceptional dementia care services. One of the reasons for our success is the City & Guilds Assured Dementia Training Programme that all of our Care Professionals undergo, a programme so outstanding that it has been recognised with the prestigious Princess Royal Training Award. This ensures that our team is fully equipped to provide compassionate, expert care for clients living with dementia, helping them live well at home.

Read below about our dementia training and other actions we take to provide exceptional dementia care at home in Yeovil, Sherborne & Bridport and surrounding areas.

At Home Instead Yeovil, Sherborne & Bridport, our Programmatic Dementia Care approach is focused on maximising the quality of life for each individual we support, ensuring that care is personalized and tailored to their unique needs. Every client with dementia should receive or be offered essential elements of support around continuity, training, nutrition, and both medical and social support. These components are carefully discussed and explored with the client and their family members to ensure they receive the most suitable and effective care. The highest level of safety and quality of care is consistently prioritised, and we strive to maintain independence wherever possible. For example, a client with dementia who struggles with a conventional microwave might benefit from a voice-activated microwave, allowing them to retain some independence with meal preparation. Every aspect of care is designed to meet the individual’s specific needs and capabilities.

we use a comprehensive 39-point checklist to ensure that each aspect of our Programmatic Dementia Care is covered. By consistently following this detailed approach, we ensure the safety, well-being, and independence of clients living with dementia, making sure nothing is overlooked in their care.

At Home Instead, we constantly aim to enhance our services through a collaborative approach that involves valuable feedback from our Care Professionals. Recently, one of our Care Pros with a clinical psychology background recommended The Dementia Guide: Living Well After Your Diagnosis as a helpful resource for both colleagues and families. In addition, we’ve introduced dementia-friendly name badges for Care Pros visiting clients with dementia. These badges feature large black letters on a yellow background, which are highly readable, helping clients with visual impairments or dementia easily recognise our team.

Additionally, our Care Professionals are joining the Music Helps (UK) project, an online training course designed to help caregivers supporting people living with dementia understand how music can enhance the care they provide. This course includes five interactive chapters with videos, practical examples, caregiver interviews, exercises, and resources. Techniques from music therapy are explained to equip caregivers with a full musical toolkit. The course supports the use of music in dementia care and considers how its application may evolve as the disease progresses. It’s perfect for anyone working with people living with dementia, including home care providers, care home staff, family members, and volunteers—no prior musical skills needed!