Taking Dementia Care to the Next Level

LONDON, March 7, 2011 - Giving staff a taste of what it feels like to have dementia is part of
Care UK's latest drive to improve its offering as a high quality provider of
care homes for frail, older people.

A pilot project at a day centre and nine dementia care homes in Surrey
has delivered remarkable results which will be rolled out across the UK.

This new way of training care home staff gives them direct experience of
what it is like to be frail and have dementia. Confusing things happen to
them; special glasses blur vision, headphones deliver white noise, and
bandages restrict hand movements. Trainees are spoon-fed with food they
cannot see, or asked questions without being given enough time to reply.

This training was developed by Care UK employee Maizie Mears-Owen, who is
a registered mental health nurse, a qualified drama therapist, and has
personal passion for improving dementia care. It leads to an experience that
delivers a powerful, long lasting message and truly changes people's
behaviours.

Care UK's managing director for residential care Helen Owens said: "The
training makes staff far more aware of how their approach and attitude can
have an impact on a person with dementia, showing the difference between good
care and really excellent care."

There has also been a fresh new look at the impact of a home's
environment on the behaviour and well-being of residents.

Helen continued: "My team, with help from the University of Stirling,
discovered that as long as colours are contrasting, they don't have to be
garish in order for residents to orientate themselves. So we've created
something that looks like a family home, rather than a kindergarten, but
still considers the needs of residents with dementia."

Care UK made other changes that help residents with dementia to feel more
at home, including:

    - Introducing fireplaces into lounges to more closely reflect family
    homes.

    - Making dining rooms smaller and separate from lounge areas so people
    have a sense of meal times.

    - Introducing 'old-style' telephones or retro ornaments that residents
    recognise from their younger days.

Initial findings were warmly welcomed by residents and their families.
After reviewing the pilot, Care UK will take the best outcomes to its other
homes across the country. Environmental changes will be incorporated into
plans for 30 new homes that the company expects to build over the next five
years.

Sheila Roberts, Group Communications Manager, Care UK, +44(0)1206-517215, sheila.roberts at careuk.com