Louth care team vow to be dementia champions for community
A care home team in Louth are stepping up as dementia champions for their community after taking part in powerful training that allowed them to experience the challenges faced by people living with dementia.
Colleagues at Madeira House Care Home on High Holme Road were given a unique insight into what it is like to live with dementia, empowering them to provide even better care for residents and to recognise when people they encounter outside the home may need support.
The insightful training, designed and led by Advinia Healthcare’s head of dementia, Sarah Merriman, will have an impact in Louth, as the team has vowed to use their new skills both at the home and in the wider community.
Home administrator Sara Gould said: “I feel as though I have a whole new perspective on dementia and the confidence that I can make a real difference if I see somebody struggling when I’m out and about.”
The sessions, informed by Sarah’s experience of caring for her grandmother, placed participants in the shoes of people living with dementia through practical exercises, demonstrating how the condition can affect the senses and how meaningful engagement can boost wellbeing.
Sarah said: “Once you can empathise with people living with dementia and understand how they might experience the world, it helps you support them better.
“Too many people assume that dementia is just about memory loss , when there are many different symptoms associated with different types of dementia. Through the work we’re doing, we want as many people as possible to understand what dementia symptoms may look like and feel confident stepping in to help if needed.”
Sarah has expertise in young‑onset dementia, is a member of the National Young Dementia Network Steering Group, and is on a mission to raise awareness. In recent months, young‑onset dementia has been featured in both Coronation Street and EastEnders, giving viewers a deeper understanding of the experiences of patients and their loved ones.
Sarah said: “It’s great to see such high‑profile shows tackling young‑onset dementia because it can feel very lonely for families who are going through this experience.
“It’s one of the reasons that when I deliver dementia training in Advinia Healthcare homes, I want every member of staff — from those working in maintenance and cleaning to reception and the kitchen — to take part alongside those providing care.
“It won’t just make a difference to residents and their families, but to anyone they meet who has dementia or is supporting a loved one. If we can bridge the gap in knowledge and remove stigma, it will help people living with dementia, and their families and friends, feel less lonely and isolated.”
The Madeira House team say they are already putting their new skills into practice.
Home Manager Julie Esprit said: “We’re all inspired and determined to make a difference.
“In the future, we are thinking of running sessions with Sarah for local people, in the hope that we can make the Louth community as dementia‑friendly as possible.”