Inverness opticians have trained to become Dementia Friends

THE Inverness branch of a national opticians and audiologists has taken part in new training to allow them to better understand the needs of customers living with dementia.

The sessions were part of an updated Dementia Friends programme, an initiative by the Alzheimer’s Society aimed at changing the way people think, act and talk about dementia.

Specsavers staff are now recognised Dementia Friends, and have a badge to wear to indicate their increased level of dementia awareness.

All customer-facing Specsavers colleagues including the home visits teams have taken part in the programme.

Andrea Farrelly, Specsavers Inverness retail manager, said: “By becoming Dementia Friends, our team feels more confident 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.”

Morven Lean, senior strategic change manager at the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “It’s fantastic to see Specsavers Inverness 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.”

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