Home Instead gives Parkinson's training to 500 home care staff

Home care provider Home Instead has given specialist training, approved by the charity Parkinson’s UK, to staff at 100 of its offices – hitting the skills milestone on World Parkinson’s Day (11 April).

Home Instead and Parkinson’s UK worked together to create a training programme on how to deliver care to someone living with Parkinson's. To date, 500 people have been trained up. In total, 350 care workers and 150 office staff completed the specialist course.

Parkinson's is a progressive neurological condition, causing problems in the brain that get worse over time. Around 145,000 people in Britain live with Parkinson’s and it's the fastest growing neurological condition in the world.

'I am delighted we have made such progress'

Home Instead UK’s chief executive Martin Jones said: “We want people to be able to live their life well at home, where they feel most comfortable. This is absolutely possible for someone who is living with Parkinson’s.

“Our Care Professionals are keen to learn new skills and put them to use in their work and I am delighted that we have made such progress over the last year. The partnership with Parkinson’s UK has enabled us to develop a new specialism and empower our Care Professionals whilst also giving them a transferable skill.”

Staff member: 'No doubt that the training is helping me'

Home Instead trained its network of in-house trainers who then delivered training at a local level.

Care professional Wendy Griffin from Home Instead’s South Lakes office in Kendal, said: “There is no doubt that the training is helping me to make a difference.

”Our Parkinson’s training encompasses the practical aspects such as helping clients to walk but it also covers handling the emotional side of things for both the client and family once a diagnosis has been received."

Ghalib Ullah, head of commercial partnerships at Parkinson’s UK, said: “It’s fantastic that so many Care Professionals have been upskilled and provided with the right tools and information through the training, to help them deliver better care to people living with Parkinson’s.”

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