Carers as Educators and Trainers

We regularly involve members of Uniting Carers, as expert speakers, in the training of professionals. It is an incredibly effective way to raise awareness and open up communication and is also empowering for the carers taking part. The family carer is usually interviewed by the course trainer, enabling them to easily share their experience on a variety of courses.

By talking about their experiences, family carers can have a real impact on others. Giving professionals the opportunity to learn from family carers, hearing about what has and hasn't worked, can make a real difference to a residential home carer, social worker or doctor. It can lead to a real shift in understanding dementia and the realities of being a carer and the impact on their lives. It can also lead to an improvement in the services provided and hopefully to improved and more effective relationships with people with dementia and those that care for them.

Sally Knocker, Dementia UK trainer, pictured below with Maria Smith speaking about caring for her husband.

Carers also frequently say that it has been healing and empowering to take part, and sharing their experiences in a meaningful way has helped restore a sense of who they are. Without appropriate support and respite breaks it is common for carers to feel overwhelmed by their caring role and lose confidence.

"Realising I had something to contribute has enabled me to rediscover who I was again. You have given me a platform where I can have a voice and make sure other carers aren't left alone as I was."
Pat Brown, carer

"Speaking about my experience looking after Mum has been good as I feel that I'm helping professionals to understand people with dementia better and to realise how important it is to listen to and work together with family carers. But it has, surprisingly, really helped me personally accept how caring has affected my life. I always felt I should be able to do it all, shouldn't ask for help, others needed it more than I did. I'm finally asking for and getting more help, so helping others understand carers is also helping me understand myself!"
Josie Hollis, carer for her Mum and regular speaker.

"Speaking about my father and my feelings about caring to the training group of care home staff, for me, took care out of the Institution and into the personal. Knowing the person is the key to good care and making my father come alive to the group illustrated how important it is to look at people with more enquiry rather than as a series of tasks to be done."
John Sprange, carer

John Sprange, carer for his father, pictured below.

"There is nothing more eye opening and powerful for participants on a course than to listen to a real story from a family carer. As a trainer I have watched the body language of the group really change as they listen attentively to someone sharing their experiences and often being very open about their pain. It is invariably evaluated as the best part of the training day on most of the many courses I have run involving a carer contributor. Many care staff bring certain negative views of family carers being critical or 'difficult' and suddenly they start to see things from their perspective."
Sally Knocker

Involving carer speakers in training can also really break down barriers making it possible for professionals to have an open and honest dialogue and providing that light bulb moment of understanding.

"I learnt how important it is to listen to relatives, I just hadn't realised how hard they find it and thought they were interfering."
Course participant

"In the training session, carers have a position of power and can talk more freely about their experiences in a way that they cannot when they are the recipients of services. Trainees get an insight into the difficulties carers face, which they would not otherwise get. In my opinion this is likely to have a very positive impact on trainees thinking about clients with dementia and their families and carers, and what clinical interventions might be appropriate."
UCL lecturer commenting on the carers who spoke to their Psychology students.

Sally Knocker and Josie Hollis, carer and regular speaker, on recent training course.

 Involving carers in training is such a powerful and very effective way to support and improve professionals understanding of dementia and what people might need from them to have a good quality of life, and what support and services carers need to enable them to care without becoming unwell themselves.

If you are interested in becoming involved in Training or would like to find out more, please contact
Uniting Carers  on 020 7874 7225/09 or email carers@dementiauk.org

Carers as Speakers
New Opportunities

Would you like to join our team of carer speakers? We regularly involve members of Uniting Carers, as expert speakers, in the training of professionals. By talking about your experiences, family carers can have a real impact on health care staff in residential homes, social workers doctors and other professionals.
It can lead to a real shift in understanding dementia and the realities of being a carer.

These comments from a recent course show the impact of telling your story.....

       ‘This was a very powerful and moving session which I found compelling.' 

       ‘The presentations from the carers were inspiring and very emotive to hear.
        It has made me think about how staff act - very valuable experience. Enhanced the day.'

We are currently expanding our team in the greater London area and have opportunities for more family carers to get involved. We would provide you with the training and support you need to share your experiences on a variety of courses, facilitated by a professional trainer.

A carer speaker recently said ‘I love doing this because it makes it possible to have such honest conversations..... they learn a lot from me but each time I also reflect about myself and my husband and what we need at this moment in time as it changes'

If this is something you might be interested in please contact Joy on 0207 874 7209.