DALLAS: More staff with specific dementia awareness training are needed in skilled nursing homes, according to a charity.
The charity CEO said all staff at skilled nursing homes should receive dementia awareness training, not just for the residents’ benefit but also for the benefit of the carers.
She said: “If staff don’t have that training the job can be very difficult because it’s such a complicated condition.
“If you do have the right knowledge it can be such a satisfying job but this is a government issue. They should pay more respect to the role.
“Communication is heavily affected in dementia so you have to know the person well. You have to spend more time reading their care plan.
“You have to know everything about that person to recognise if they’re in pain, discomfort or if they’re hungry. It takes a special type of person to do this job…”