{"id":7910,"date":"2026-04-16T00:32:23","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T00:32:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/?p=7910"},"modified":"2026-04-16T03:07:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T03:07:35","slug":"dementia-patients-at-risk-as-many-care-staff-get-less-training-than-coffee-shop-workers-major-report-reveals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/?p=7910","title":{"rendered":"Dementia patients at risk as many care staff get &#8216;less training than coffee shop workers&#8217;, major report reveals"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"js-article-text\">\n<ul class=\"mol-bullets-with-font\">\n<li class=\"\"><strong>For confidential advice, call Alzheimer&#8217;s Society&#8217;s Dementia Support Line on 0333 150 3456\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<li class=\"\"><strong>Alzheimer&#8217;s Society&#8217;s<a class=\"\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\" href=\"http:\/\/alzheimers.org.uk\/symptoms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> symptoms checker<\/a>\u00a0can help spot the signs of dementia\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"author-section byline-plain\">By <a class=\"author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/profile-3421\/marti-stelling.html\">MARTI STELLING, HEALTH REPORTER<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"byline-section\"><span class=\"article-timestamp article-timestamp-published\"> <span class=\"article-timestamp-label\">Published:<\/span> <time datetime=\"2026-04-16T00:01:55+0100\"> 19:01 EDT, 15 April 2026 <\/time> <\/span> | <span class=\"article-timestamp article-timestamp-updated\"> <span class=\"article-timestamp-label\">Updated:<\/span> <time datetime=\"2026-04-16T00:01:55+0100\"> 19:01 EDT, 15 April 2026 <\/time> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><!-- ad: https:\/\/mads.dailymail.co.uk\/v8\/us\/health\/none\/article\/other\/para_top.html --> <!-- CWV --><!-- [if !IE]><!--> <!--<![endif]--> <!-- [if IE]>\n \t<link href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/static\/gunther\/1.17.0\/registration--.css\" media=\"screen\" rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text\/css\" \/>\n<![endif]--> <!-- [if !IE]><!--> <!--<![endif]--><!-- [if IE]>\n \t<link href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/static\/gunther\/1.17.0\/all-ie8-9--.css\" media=\"all\" rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text\/css\" \/>\n \t<link href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/static\/gunther\/1.17.0\/all1-ie8-9--.css\" media=\"all\" rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text\/css\" \/>\n<![endif]--> <!-- [if !IE]><!--> <!--<![endif]--> <!-- [if IE 8]>\n\n<![endif]--> <!-- [if IE 9]>\n\n<![endif]--> <!-- [if IE]>\n\n<![endif]--> <!-- [if !IE]> --> <!--<![endif]--><!-- SiteCatalyst code version: H.20.3. Copyright 1997-2009 Omniture, Inc. More info available at http:\/\/www.omniture.com --><\/p>\n<p><!-- End SiteCatalyst code version: H.20.3. --> <!-- [if IE]>\n\n<![endif]--> <!-- [if !IE]> --> <!--<![endif]--><!-- [if IE]>\n\n<noscript> \t<link rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/static\/gunther\/gunther-2159\/video_bundle--.css\"><\/noscript>\n\n<![endif]--> <!-- [if !IE]> --><noscript> \t<link rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/static\/videoplayer\/7.16.0\/styles\/mol-fe-videoplayer.min.css\" \/><\/noscript><!-- <![endif]--><br \/>\n<!-- CWV --><\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Vulnerable dementia patients are being cared for by staff with as little as one hour of training, a major study has warned.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Around 70 per cent of care home residents are living with the condition, yet many workers receive only the most basic preparation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Experts say the shortfall is leaving workers &#8216;unprepared and unsupported&#8217;, with serious consequences for the quality and safety of care.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The findings, from research commissioned by <a id=\"mol-f49fa4e0-38e7-11f1-8dca-f7503929d48b\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sciencetech\/alzheimers-disease\/index.html\" target=\"_self\">Alzheimer&#8217;s<\/a> Society and led by the Centre for Dementia Research alongside IFF Research, show that half of all dementia training courses last just one to two hours.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">More than a third of staff lack a basic understanding of dementia, while just 52 per cent feel &#8216;very competent&#8217; supporting those with the condition.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Around one million people in the UK are living with dementia \u2013 a figure expected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040 \u2013 yet only 55 per cent of care staff in England have received any dementia-specific training.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Only 39 per cent of courses meet recommended levels, and fewer than half of staff receive dementia training during their induction.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">A striking 81 per cent of care workers said they want more dementia training, as the charity calls for it to be made mandatory.<\/p>\n<div class=\"xp-button-logo-link-wrapper\" data-mol-fe-xpmodule-button-logo-link=\"true\" data-reactroot=\"\">\n<div class=\"xp-button-logo-link\">\n<div class=\"xp-button-logo-link__logo\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"height: 28px; width: 187px;\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/static\/mol-fe\/static\/misc\/xp-button-logo-link\/alzheimer_society.png\" alt=\"Logo\" width=\"187\" height=\"28\" \/><\/div>\n<p>Everyone experiences dementia differently. Use this checklist to help you make a note of your symptoms before you talk to your GP.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"artSplitter mol-img-group\">\n<div class=\"mol-img\">\n<div class=\"image-wrap\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-3c11b9a9e66127a6\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width: 100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2026\/04\/15\/14\/107914915-15731909-image-a-1_1776260651640.jpg\" alt=\"Experts say the lack of proper training is leaving workers \u2018unprepared and unsupported'\" width=\"634\" height=\"423\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Experts say the lack of proper training is leaving workers &#8216;unprepared and unsupported&#8217;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><iframe id=\"xp-iframe-mo0qvt0fedg8q84ushu\" class=\"iframe-creator \" style=\"border: 0; width: 0; min-width: 100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/html_modules\/2026\/01_JAN\/260129_Dementia_UK_Charts\/index.html\" name=\"xp-iframe-mo0qvt0fedg8q84ushu\" height=\"100\" scrolling=\"no\" data-xpmodule-iframe-resizable=\"\">Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Michelle Dyson, chief executive of Alzheimer&#8217;s Society, said: &#8216;One hour of dementia training doesn&#8217;t even scratch the surface.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;Anything less than comprehensive training leaves care workers unprepared, coping with situations they have not been equipped for, which can put people with dementia at risk of inadequate care.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;Baristas can receive more training to make great coffee than care workers receive to provide dementia care.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;Care staff want and deserve better \u2013 they need training which gives them the skills and confidence to deliver the best possible care.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mol-img-group floatRHS mol-hidden-caption\">\n<div class=\"mol-img\">\n<div class=\"image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-35a8c1138a24d776\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width: 100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2026\/04\/14\/11\/104494529-15731909-image-a-2_1776164159984.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"306\" height=\"236\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;Without high-quality dementia training, social care will remain dangerously inconsistent, leaving families unsure whether loved ones will be supported with dignity and expertise.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;We need to close the training gap \u2013 with better dementia care, everyone benefits. It is crucial that the UK Government includes a requirement for all relevant adult social care workers in its dementia plan.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Joanne, a care worker who also cared for her father with Alzheimer&#8217;s, said staff often lacked vital skills.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">She said: &#8216;There are often assumptions about what carers &#8216;should&#8217; do and ignorance around how dementia affects people.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;They did not provide reassurance when he was agitated \u2013 he was treated like a child.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;If people understood the condition more, good dementia care could be much more easily replicated.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">It comes after a major win for the Daily Mail&#8217;s Defeating Dementia campaign, which will see thousands of patients fast-tracked onto clinical trials.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">More than 15,500 people aged 65 to 75 have been invited to join the Dementia Trials Accelerator, aimed at speeding up the search for new treatments.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Recruitment remains a major barrier, with just 173 patients in England enrolled in late-stage trials in 2024\u201325 through the NIHR Research Delivery Network \u2013 far fewer than for other major diseases.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">There is currently no cure for dementia, which claims 76,000 lives a year in the UK.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- ad: https:\/\/mads.dailymail.co.uk\/v8\/us\/health\/none\/article\/other\/inread_player.html --><\/p>\n<div class=\"column-content cleared\">\n<div class=\"shareArticles\">\n<h3 class=\"social-links-title\">Share or comment on this article:<br \/>\nDementia patients at risk as many care staff get &#8216;less training than coffee shop workers&#8217;, major report reveals<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; For confidential advice, call Alzheimer&#8217;s Society&#8217;s Dementia Support Line on 0333 150 3456\u00a0 Alzheimer&#8217;s Society&#8217;s symptoms checker\u00a0can help spot the signs of dementia\u00a0 By MARTI STELLING, HEALTH REPORTER Published: 19:01 EDT, 15 April 2026 | Updated: 19:01 EDT, 15 April 2026 Vulnerable dementia patients are being cared for by staff with as little as<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7911,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[2381,1461,2382,2089,2380,2384,2383,2176,1446,2385],"class_list":{"0":"post-7910","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-healthy","8":"tag-alzheimers-society","9":"tag-brain-health","10":"tag-care-worker-training","11":"tag-clinical-trials","12":"tag-dementia-care","13":"tag-dementia-trials-accelerator","14":"tag-healthcare-crisis-2026","15":"tag-patient-safety","16":"tag-public-health-policy","17":"tag-social-care-reform"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7910","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7910"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7910\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7915,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7910\/revisions\/7915"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7911"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7910"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7910"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7910"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}