A course for carers, to help you stay connected to loved ones, manage stress at home and diffuse difficult situations. If you are a carer for a person living with dementia then this is a course for you. When it comes to understanding and supporting a person living with dementia, family carers are very often the most skilled and knowledgeable. Yet, you will know that carers can face a number of really stressful situations that can be difficult to deal with.

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Get advice on connecting with and caring for someone with dementia

This course will provide you with knowledge and advice that can help you connect with and care for someone living with dementia. We will focus on everyday experiences that are seen as particularly challenging and stressful.

Newcastle University has great expertise in ageing and dementia research. We specialise in understanding dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), so this course will shine a light on some of the stressful symptoms and communication problems associated with this condition, as well as covering the challenges of other types of dementia including Alzheimer’s disease.

Meet other dementia carers and academic experts

Over the four weeks, you will meet other carers and academic experts who have developed strategies and practical steps that can improve communication - something which is crucially important for building and maintaining relationships, and for effectively negotiating daily life.

By the end of the course, you will develop a new understanding of:

- the brain and different types of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB);

- what a person with dementia is experiencing;

- challenging situations and behaviours that can cause carer stress;

- strategies for improving verbal and non-verbal communication;

- and some of the latest innovations for better communication.

What topics will you cover?

- Changing understandings of dementia

- Types and symptoms of dementia

- Structure and functions of the brain

- Characteristics of dementia with Lewy bodies

- On-going inner life and the concept of personhood

- Understanding communication (channels, modes and contexts)

- Reflecting on the caring role (experiences, stresses and self-compassion)

- Understanding Alzheimer’s disease and the concept of ‘time shift’

- Understanding the communication challenges of dementia with Lewy bodies

- Reflecting on caring at a distance

- Activities of daily living and dementia (focusing on mealtimes and using the bathroom)

- Understanding challenging behaviour

- Identifying unmet need

- Avoiding confrontation

- Exploring assistive technologies to improve communication

- Sharing insights to support future care innovations

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

- Describe the different forms of dementia including the distinctive characteristics of dementia with Lewy bodies

- Explore the communication challenges affecting carers of people with dementia

- Improve strategies for verbal and non-verbal communication between carers and people with dementia

- Explain how to handle challenging situations that can cause carer stress

- Contribute to ideas for innovation and better communication