FRIENDS of the Elderly has highlighted its commitment to supporting older people living with dementia as it marks World Alzheimer’s Day.
The charity says its approach focuses on understanding each individual, protecting independence and ensuring people living with dementia are treated with dignity and respect.
Yvette Carr, Head of Dementia Care at Friends of the Elderly, has worked in the care sector for more than 40 years and joined the charity in 2018. She became Head of Dementia Care in January 2025.
Yvette said:
“Dementia care is not just about doing more things to and for people; it’s about understanding who they are, what they value and how we can support them to live well in a thoughtful, dignified and respectful way.”
Friends of the Elderly provides ongoing dementia care training for staff throughout the organisation.
Working with the University of Worcester’s Association for Dementia Studies and Professor Dawn Brooker MBE, who has since retired, the charity developed its Dementia Education Programme.
The programme has helped establish 36 trained Dementia Champions across Friends of the Elderly’s care homes and day care services.
The champions support residents and day care clients while also working with their families and friends to improve understanding of dementia and individual needs.
Four members of the care team at Friends Place, the charity’s residential care home in Reading, are currently undertaking Dementia Champion training.
They include two Unit Managers, a Senior Health Care Assistant and a Health Care Assistant.
Unit Manager Simona Budica said:
“The Dementia Champion course has been very valuable in helping me and my colleagues to understand dementia from the resident point of view.
“Learning about the VERA approach, Validation, Emotion, Reassure and Activity, Dementia Care Mapping and reasons for Sundowning has helped to recognise that changes in behaviour, anxiety or agitation can be a way for residents to communicate an unmet need.”
The training also focuses on helping people living with dementia maintain independence wherever possible.
Health Care Assistant Sofia Gurung said:
“The Dementia Champion training has taught me so much about how to properly communicate and interact with people living with dementia.
“I have learnt more about gently guiding and supporting them. For example, holding and guiding their hands and encouraging them to do things by themselves so their independence is never lost.”
At Bernard Sunley, the charity’s residential, nursing and dementia care home in Woking, Dementia Champion and Activities Coordinator Monika Ahmed develops activities based around residents’ individual interests and preferences.
Monika said:
“What motivates me is knowing that even the smallest things I can do make a real difference in providing person-centred care.
“As one of the Activities Coordinators at Bernard Sunley, I put together a wide range of accessible and inclusive meaningful activities that engage, entertain, motivate and encourage cognitive functions for the residents.”
She said learning about residents’ likes, dislikes and personal preferences was an important part of making activities meaningful.
Monika added:
“My role as a Dementia Champion and working with people living with dementia is not just my job; it’s my calling.
“The Dementia Champion training has given me the understanding to be able to see things more clearly through the eyes of residents living with dementia.”
Earlier this year, Friends of the Elderly launched a new dementia strategy, The Wider View, setting out how it intends to support people living with dementia across its care homes and day care services between 2026 and 2029.
The strategy is based on the principle that every person’s experience of dementia is different and focuses on looking beyond a diagnosis to understand the individual, their relationships and what matters to them.
It includes four core commitments covering workforce development, rights-based and non-discriminatory care, evidence-based practice and collaboration with families, communities and professionals.
The strategy also challenges what the charity describes as ‘over-caring ‘, where well-intentioned support can unintentionally reduce a person’s independence.
Instead, Friends of the Elderly wants care teams to place greater emphasis on dignity, autonomy and appropriate levels of risk while recognising the important role played by families and friends.
Yvette said:
“Friends of the Elderly has a long history of supporting people living with dementia and their families, including earlier work through its Admiral Nurse Service.
“The Wider View builds on that experience while responding to current evidence and the growing need for high-quality dementia care.
“It will guide practice across the charity’s services, inform staff training and development, and shape how Friends of the Elderly works with families and partners over the coming years.”
The Wider View dementia strategy can be read at: www.fote.org.uk/thewiderview.
