Working 1:1 With People With Dementia - A Training Toolkit and Good Practice Guidelines

Befriending is an important intervention for people with dementia as it offers something other than a clinical approach. It offers people with dementia a human touch, someonethere to talk to and to listen; someone whose role is to look for the person and not focus on the disease.

In the vast majority of cases befriending is provided by volunteers, everyday people from all walks of life who are motivated to give their time, their support and their care to others.

Training Toolkit

This Training Toolkit will give Befriending Coordinators the tools and confidence they need to prepare their volunteer befrienders for the challenges and the rewards of this valuable work and the good practice guidelines that go along with it will ensure that projects feel they are able to put best practice into place.

Although the toolkit was designed with befriending in mind it is a valuable resource for anyone training people to work 1:1 with clients with dementia.

The positive effects of friendship on the quality of life and more specifically on the health and wellbeing of olderpeople are well established. There is considerable experience of the value of befriending for people with dementia.Befrienders can have a particularly valuable role with people in early dementia in extending their opportunities toengage in individual and stimulating conversation - Quality in Ageing, June 2007

Chapters Include

• Understanding Befriending and Its Role in Supporting People with Dementia
• Demystifying Dementia
• Building Relationships with Carers
• Relationships with Befriendees
• Communicating
• Getting Support
• Reacting to, Reporting & Recording Change

Training the Trainer

Befriending Network Scotland - Complementary Skills Training