Meet Chloe, our Customer Relations Advisor at Tallington Lodge Care Home near Stamford in Lincolnshire. Chloe is the first point of contact for families of residents at Tallington Lodge, both for families thinking about a care home and those already residents. She tells what motivated her to become a Dementia Champion.
I started my career in the care industry just short of a year ago and at that point had little knowledge of dementia. Like many others, I thought it referred to an older person becoming forgetful and losing their memory. I had no knowledge of the in-depth symptoms that come with the condition and I never fully understood the impact it has on people and their families.
During my time at Country Court Care and through my role as Customer Relations Advisor, I’ve had the pleasure of working with Carers and Nurses and seen the difference they make to residents and their family’s lives. Their focus is on understanding how people with dementia may be feeling, (confused, frustrated, upset) and devising ways to change these emotions to be more positive, as well as supporting people to live well with dementia.
Chloe, Customer Relations Advisor at Tallington Lodge Care Home
I’ve been impressed with the patience and understanding shown by Carers and nurses at Country Court Care as they aim to give residents a sense of independence by assisting them, rather than always doing everything for them. This usually takes longer but gives people with dementia a sense of purpose which is much more rewarding. Actions like this can make all the difference.
Through my role as Customer Relations Advisor, I’ve seen first-hand why understanding dementia is so important, not just for those in care homes but also in the wider community. Anyone who comes into regular contact with members of the public who may be living with the condition will benefit from understanding more. How you communicate with people with dementia makes all the difference and greater understanding of the condition will improve the quality of life for those with the illness.
All staff at Country Court Care are encouraged to join the Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Friends initiative. It was through that this I gained a much better understanding of dementia. Becoming a Dementia Friend simply means finding out more about how dementia affects a person so you can help your community by taking action, big or small.
Becoming a Dementia Friend is achieved by attending a one-hour session to learn what it might be like to live with dementia. I attended one of those talks at the company’s head office in May earlier this year and came out wanting to make more of a difference. So, I decided to become a Dementia Friends Champion, which means I can run these awareness sessions myself. My goal as a Dementia Friends Champion is to take action in the community in and around Tallington and make a difference to the 850,000 people living with the condition in the UK.
Chloe will be hosting a Dementia Friends Session at Tallington Lodge Care Home on Thursday 21st November at 2 pm. If you’d like to understand more about dementia, improve your understanding and think about the small things that you can do to make a difference please come along. RSVP to Chloe on 07834 790 400.
