Dementia Live Training with Westborough Fire Department
Westborough, Mass. – (March 5, 2018) – Right at Home, a private duty in-home care and assistance company, recently led two innovative Dementia Live™ training sessions for the Westborough Fire Department. A certified Dementia Live agency, Right at Home will lead two more training sessions this month.
Using specialized gear within a safe, experiential setting, Dementia Live gives participants a real-life simulation of what it’s like to live with dementia. Participants gain greater awareness, understanding and a stronger appreciation of the ongoing struggles that affect people with dementia. First responders participating are given practical tips to aid them in elevating their care and engagement responding to a community member with dementia.
Nationally, 10,000 Baby Boomers turn 65 every day. About 20 percent of Westborough’s population is over the age of 65. One in ten individuals 65 and older experience some degree of dementia, and for individuals over 85, that increases to one in three. To address this reality, Westborough is working toward becoming a dementia-friendly community, where civic leaders, business people, residents, first responders and others are educated about and equipped to address and meet the varying needs of Westborough residents who have dementia.
Shelby Marshall, Senior Vice President for Right at Home, also co-chairs the Come 2B Dementia Friendly initiative in Westborough.
“Participating in dementia training has a profound effect. It allows participants to put themselves in the position of someone with cognitive impairment and empathize with the challenges and difficulties they face every day. Understanding that signs of dementia aren’t always obvious, and learning ways to effectively communicate with people who have cognitive decline, can enable us as a community to appropriately respond to someone who has specific needs but might not be able to express them,” she said.
Dementia Live was designed by a team of dementia, sensitivity and awareness, and professional development experts from the nationally recognized AGE-u-cate® Training Institute. It is a tool in the powerful arena of sensitivity awareness training being used for the booming number of direct care staff, family caregivers, healthcare professionals, and college and university students.
To find out more about RAHEWC’s commitment to excellence, or to inquire about Dementia Live, visit www.rahewc.com, email rightcare@rahewc.com or call 508-599-1122 x1129.
About Right at Home of Eastern Worcester County (RAHEWC): RAHEWC is a private-duty, in-home care and assistance company that provides comprehensive care planning, supervision and clinical care management to older adults. In-home direct care (one-on-one) services range from companionship and transportation to 24-hour care and skilled nursing care. Our RightCare Solutions may address concerns about safety, nutrition and medication compliance to more hands-on, personal care related to incontinence and memory loss or complex issues requiring skilled nursing oversight.
The Westborough office of Right at Home is a locally owned and operated franchise office of Right at Home, LLC and serves 32 communities throughout Eastern Worcester County. For more information, visit Right at Home of Westborough at www.rahewc.com, call 508-599-1122 x1132 or email rightcare@rahewc.com.
