A member of staff from Specsavers in Bath has taken part in new awareness-raising sessions that will allow them to better understand the needs of customers living with dementia.
The Specsavers store in Bath | Photo © Specsavers
The store on Westgate Street has carried out training as part of an updated Dementia Friends programme, an Alzheimer’s Society initiative changing the way people think, act and talk about the syndrome.
By completing the session, optical dispenser Josh Gaisford is now a recognised Dementia Friend, and has a badge to wear on his uniform to indicate his increased level of dementia awareness to customers.
Phil Lodge, Specsavers Bath store director, said: “Being more aware of dementia is an incredibly positive development. Having a Dementia Friend as part of the team will help to ensure any customers living with dementia feel safe and are looked after in a sensitive way.
“We’re always keen to go the extra mile and support our local community and this development should do exactly that.”
Morven Lean, Senior Strategic Change Manager at Alzheimer’s Society added: “It’s fantastic to see Specsavers Bath take this first step to becoming a dementia-friendly business by inviting its staff to join over 3.4 million Dementia Friends in the UK today.
“As we have come out of lockdown, more people are heading to the shops, and it’s vital that businesses are dementia-friendly and provide a well-informed service and support for customers with dementia.
“There are currently 850,000 people in the UK with dementia and this number is set to rise to one million by 2025, so it’s never been more important for businesses, organisations and individuals to tackle the stigma around dementia, and transform the way the nation acts, thinks and talks about the condition.”
Specsavers first signed up to Dementia Friends in 2019 and so far, around 6,000 staff have become Dementia Friends.
The updated programme, created by Alzheimer’s Society, features more interactive modules, updated information and video content, and staff will be joining over 3.4 million people in the UK who have become a Dementia Friends.
It covers all aspects of dementia and discusses how it affects people in different ways. With particular relevance to Specsavers, it also describes how senses can be affected, including sight and hearing.
People with dementia may experience problems with their sight and visual perception, which can lead to confusion and misinterpretations about the world around them.
Some people living with dementia can also experience hallucinations. On top of that, many people living with dementia may be wearing glasses with the wrong prescription, which can lead to increased isolation and confusion.
