Majority of carers don't receive dementia training when first looking after elderly

"More than half of adult social care staff begin caring for patients without receiving any dementia training, according to new research. The Alzheimer's Society is now demanding that such training be made mandatory."

"The charity commissioned analysis from the Centre for Dementia Research at Leeds Beckett University and the IFF Research agency, which reviewed 119 training packages across 53 social care providers in England."

"The findings revealed that fewer than half (47 per cent) of social care staff received dementia training as part of their induction, leading to the conclusion that over half of staff commence caring for individuals with dementia without any prior instruction."

"Furthermore, half of the existing dementia training packages were found to include only one or two hours of dementia-specific content, while just over a third (39 per cent) of the training met the recommended standards."

Research shows that more than half of adult social care staff begin their roles without receiving any dementia training. The Alzheimer's Society is advocating for mandatory training, emphasizing that care workers receive less preparation than baristas making coffee. A study reviewed 119 training packages across 53 providers in England, revealing that only 47 percent of staff received dementia training during induction. Additionally, many training programs offered minimal dementia-specific content, with only a third meeting recommended standards.

Read at www.independent.co.uk