Exeter Dementia Action Alliance and Training2Care join forces as partners sharing the language of dementia
The Exeter Dementia Action Alliance (EDAA) are delighted to have joined forces with Training2Care and their Dementia Interpreters partnership programme.
Launching in Exeter next year will see the alliance offering three hour immersive interactive sessions around communication and the language of Dementia.
With small groups of six from all sectors to care homes, community groups, family carers, local businesses, the list is endless and open to all.
“We are first in the South West to be offering the training” said Gina Awad, founder and lead of the alliance.
She continued: “We connected with Michael Peachey, Associate Director and Trainer from Training2Care several months ago and booked the two day intensive training for last month.
"However, Tony Husband, cartoonist and our avid supporter died suddenly. This caused us to consider postponing the training but we know Tony wouldn’t have wanted that. It turned out to be the right decision as Michael was an incredible trainer and his compassion allowed us to immerse ourselves into the experience.
"Despite the incredibly sad loss of Tony, who has been instrumental in our work for several years, his legacy will live on through this work and our training.
"Empathy is fundamental when it comes to supporting people and families with dementia but for those who have not been affected to have a sense of what it may feel like would be extremely hard.
"Communication lies at the heart of connection particularly for those living with dementia and the Dementia Interpreters training evokes this in participants.
"Feeling what it may be like to have our senses impaired is what sits at the core of this project offering intimate group sessions we believe will create a huge impact.
"As well as my work with the alliance I have had personal family experience of dementia and also work directly with three local families living with it as their companion. The joy mutually derived from our companionship almost always centres around communication and the importance of ‘being with’ and not ‘doing to’ on a human level.
"Meaningful emotional connection is what as humans we all long for but it’s pivotal for people living with dementia at all stages. Dementia Interpreter's directly links with our values and we feel blessed to have discovered it.
"We funded the training, licence and resources with funds received from our Mayoralty year 2022/23. We wanted to share a tangible project which would directly impact our community."
Jo Earlam, EDAA board member and carer, said: “I consider myself someone who has a good knowledge of dementia, three generations of family had it, including now being a carer for my husband. I've also attended awareness sessions many times.
"The Dementia Interpreters course though takes understanding to a new level, putting examples of the lived experience of people with dementia at the heart of the training, which is delivered in an engaging, interactive way.
"I'm grateful for the further insight this course has given me. I feel it would beneficial to anyone who has an involvement with someone who has dementia, which at sometime is likely to be all of us.
"I have been personally affected by dementia and now work in home/residential care. The Dementia Interpreters principles and course puts the person living with dementia at the centre and gives practical tools enabling communication with that person using increased understanding and empathy."
"I am confident that anyone attending the course will be able to apply the learning to their own individual relationships and circumstances,” said Colin Bray, EDAA Secretary and carer.
Michael Peachey explained: “The Dementia Interpreters course has been fundamentally changing how people view communication and dementia ever since it was launched back in 2021, both through the unique, experiential training sessions where participants see what it may be like to communicate if you were living with dementia and through the revolutionary Dementia Dictionary project which allows people to share their experiences to enable people around the world to better understand people living with dementia.
"We are absolutely delighted to be working in partnership with the Exeter Dementia Action Alliance who will be providing this groundbreaking training session in the local area, allowing people to access this one-of-a-kind course that we would otherwise not be able to do so ourselves.
"The work that the Exeter Dementia Action Alliance performs, led by Gina, aligns with our own ambition to continue to make the world a better place for everyone affected by dementia.
"We are incredibly excited to see what the future holds as the Dementia Interpreter course is rolled out by the Exeter Dementia Action Alliance and look forward to hearing about the many success stories that will take place as a result of people gaining access to incredible opportunity."
Please note to begin with the alliance are offering just two sessions a month from January which will be delivered by Gina. This will increase as necessary but it’s important to the alliance we offer quality experiences over quantity.
The training cost for a group of six for three hours is £375 and will be delivered at your setting or in the community.
To learn more contact Gina via email at exeterdaa@outlook.com
Additionally we hope to offer some free sessions funded in kind by supporters to reach family carers in the community.
Above: Michael highlighting his senses being impaired.
- Pictured from left to right in the main image: Michael Peachey, Associate Director and Trainer Training2Care; Colin Bray, Secretary EDAA; Gina Awad, Founder and Lead EDAA and Jo Earlam, board member and carer.
