Experience Offers Inside View of Dementia

Right at Home, a private duty in-home care and assistance company, recently led the innovative Dementia Live™ training for the Berlin Fire & EMS Department. Right at Home is a certified Dementia Live agency.

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, in particular, develop a more sensitive approach when called to respond to a community member with dementia.

“Our team responds to inquiries from people with all kinds of issues,” said Patricia Correia, Assistant Fire Chief, Berlin Fire & EMS. “Dementia Live gave us the background we need to respond appropriately and effectively to people with cognitive issues.”

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.

Shelby Marshall, Senior Vice President for Right at Home, said that Dementia Live training benefits the community as well as first responders. “It’s hard to effectively manage a situation that involves someone with dementia or other cognitive issues without the appropriate training or background,” she said. “Dementia Live provides tools for effective communication, a practical way to understand and develop empathy and ultimately, it provides insight into a situation that can really be a matter of life or death.”

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.

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. 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.

All photos courtesy of Berlin Fire/EMS