Sanders Senior Living’s care home The Belmont hosted Paul Gaskell, director of wellbeing and dementia care, for a series of dementia awareness sessions for the Worcester community.
Several 90-minute presentations on dementia took place throughout the day on 3 May and family, friends, and members of the professional community were invited to attend.
Points of conversation included discussing what ‘dementia’ means and how people who live with dementia can still live well. Paul presented different ways to support and encourage those living with dementia, through cognitive stimulation, life story work, and physical, mental, and social activity. The attendees also engaged in empathy exercises to better understand what living with dementia is like. Another topic of discussion was how space can be designed in a way that creates a calming, inclusive sense of familiarity.
The day’s event generated lots of interest, with family members and representatives from Age UK and the Dementia Café in attendance. The Belmont team are hoping to host additional sessions in the future.
Paul Gaskell said: “It was great to be able to lead an important presentation and discussion on dementia awareness for relatives and the wider community. It’s so important that those in the community have a welcoming space to feel supported and to come away with the knowledge and confidence to further care for their loved ones. At the end of the session, I issued everyone with a range of information and handouts and my business card, inviting them to contact me if they wish any support or advice.”
Customer relations manager, Tommy Fellows, who organised the event, said: “I am so pleased that Paul was able to come and support The Belmont community with such informative sessions on dementia. We received such lovely feedback from guests and with such success, we hope to hold sessions like this again soon. This event is just one of the ways we are striving to become a pillar of support for the Worcester community.”
