Dementia Training for Peninsula Dental Students

Second year dentistry students from Plymouth’s Peninsula Dental School have been working with the city charity to gain a deeper understanding into a day in the life of a person living with dementia.

As part of the Inter-Professional Engagement Module the students have spent time working with the charity to understand the very specific challenges that present for a person living with dementia including completing Dementia Friends training with Age UK Plymouth. Utilising the knowledge and experience gained from their time at Age UK Plymouth the students will then go on to devise and deliver a health improvement project for people living with dementia.

The Dementia Day Centre relocated to central Plymstock two years ago and has gone from strength to strength continuing to provide an approach focused on clients enjoying quality time with a variety of stimulating and engaging activities on offer. The dentistry students arranged a series of dental hygiene themed activities and enjoyed spending time chatting to the day centre guests.

With over three years of studying still to complete before completing their training, the students found that the experience was something that would stay with them; “Developing our communication skills and understanding the needs of our patients is a huge part of supporting their successful oral hygiene. The Dementia Friends training and being here at the Day Centre really highlights the importance of being aware of a patients experience and how even the smallest of changes to our behaviours can support someone living with dementia.”

Tracy Walker, Dementia Day Centre Manager said, “It’s been great to have the students here. It’s really important to us that as a community Plymouth continues its dementia friendly journey. Sometimes it just takes tiny changes to someone’s process to support a person living with dementia, and the first step to that is simply education and awareness.”

Abby Nelder, Community Engagement Programme Officer said, “It’s really important that we encourage and support students to engage with people who may not normally access oral health care.  The Inter-Professional Engagement Module, delivered in partnership by Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise and the University of Plymouth provides students with the opportunity to work closely with people, outside of clinic, enabling them to have a wider understanding of barriers faced by some in maintaining positive oral health behaviours.  We are always grateful to our amazing host organisations such as Age UK who enable us to deliver this module with our students”.

Professor Robert Witton, Director of Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise said, “Helping to engage with groups who otherwise might not access oral health care is a really important part of what we do. As well as reaching those communities themselves, it’s important that we educate those who work closely with them to ensure that message is sustainable as possible”.

Age UK Plymouth have been rolling out their Dementia Awareness Training across the city to groups and organisations including the National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth Live and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service to name a few. The sessions are available in several different formats and can be modified to suit a range of organisations, from schools and youth groups to businesses looking to support and equip public facing members of staff with the tools to best serve their patrons and community. The training describes the experience of living with dementia in a way that will help attendees visualise it and increase their understanding.

Tammy Walker, Training and Wellbeing Dementia Lead for Age UK Plymouth has years of first-hand experience of working with people living with dementia and is thrilled to be rolling out the awareness training across Plymouth. “It’s more important than ever that organisations and businesses are committed to dementia education and choose to raise awareness from within. There are over 100 types of dementia and it is a complex condition affecting one in 14 people over the age of 65 in the UK. Organisations can make tiny changes to support visitors, customers or colleagues living with dementia and that can make a huge difference to their experience.”

If you’re interested in finding out more about the various forms of free Dementia Awareness Training available for your group or business please email tammy.walker@ageukplymouth.org.uk.