This two-day intensive workshop is designed to equip participants with knowledge and practical skills in understanding distress and behaviours that challenge in people with dementia. Through a combination of lectures, case studies, demonstrations and interactive exercises, participants will gain expertise in assessment, formulation, and tailored interventions for individuals with dementia who experience distress and behaviours that challenge.

Day One

Introduction to dementia and the impact on a person’s brain and behaviour changes.

Understanding and identifying causes and triggers of behaviours that challenge e.g. pain, poor sleep, confusion, environment and antecedents.

Person-centred care, personhood and what these mean in practice.

Understanding distressed behaviour as a communication of unmet needs. Overview of key models of unmet need including Kitwood and Cohen Mansfield.

Understanding aggression and agitation: what does this mean and implementing person-centred care in understanding these behaviours.

Communication strategies: techniques for interacting with people with dementia, importance of non-verbal behaviour, active listening and validation therapy (Feil).

Day Two

Strategies for de-escalation and prevention including creating a calming environment and reducing triggers.

Care planning and individualised approaches that promote dignity and respect. Individualised care plans, collaborative approach with family members. Values based personalised strategies to address specific behaviours.

Evaluating the effectiveness of interventions.

Stress management for caregivers and healthcare workers. Recognising caregiver stress and burnout, self care strategies and accessing resources for carer wellbeing.

Ethical considerations including mental capacity, maintaining dignity and autonomy.

Implementing best practice. Ongoing assessment and modification of care plans.

Putting it together: how you and your service can put into practice what you have learned; identifying and problem solving barriers, planning and implementation going forward.

As with all our courses, we use a combination of lectures, demonstrations, group discussion and role play to teach the material

This course is suitable for health and social care workers who work with people with dementia. It may be of interest to support workers, Occupational Therapists, Nurses, care workers and other staff, either in care homes, the community, or in hospital.

Note: This course provides foundational knowledge and skills for working with individuals but does not qualify participants to practice as CBT therapists. Consultation with a qualified mental health professional is essential for any clinical practice involving assessment, formulation, diagnosis or treatment.

This course is available as an in-house training course, both online and face to face.

Online, in-house: £2450 plus VAT (max 15 participants; extra participants are charged at £65 per person per day)

Face to face, in-house: £3450 plus VAT (max 15 participants; extra participants are charged at £85 per person per day)

To book this course for your team fill out the enquiry form and a member of our team will get back to you. 

Alternatively you can email: enquiries@theminervainstitute.co.uk

Or call: +44 (0)20 8087 1676