Stacey Dicks and colleagues explore the benefits of training for carers of people with learning disabilities whose clients are more likely than the rest of the population to develop Alzheimer’s

Introduction People with learning disabilities are more likely to develop dementia of the Alzheimer’s type than the general population. Evidence is limited concerning the benefits of person-centred training packages for staff who support people with this diagnosis.

Method A training workshop was developed for paid support staff. Test-retest measures were administered to three staff teams participating in the training workshop pilot.

Results The dementia training workshop improved participants’ understanding of dementia, the difficulties service users with dementia may experience, and how to provide more effective support. Awareness of available support, and confidence working with those with dementia, also increased.

Conclusion The findings of this study support previous research documenting the need for dementia-specific training for staff working with people with learning disabilities. This study also provides evidence of the benefits of facilitating this type of training to supported living staff.