Dementia Awareness and Dementia Friendly Companionship Training for Companions
Dementia can change how a person remembers, communicates, makes decisions, and responds to the world around them. It does not remove their need for friendship, routine, dignity, humour, choice, or connection.
For companions, volunteers, team leaders, coordinators, and managers, dementia awareness is more than a training requirement. It shapes the small daily moments that make companionship safe, respectful, and meaningful. A calm greeting, a familiar activity, a patient conversation, or a gentle response to confusion can make a real difference to someone’s wellbeing.
Mandatory Training 26, Dementia Awareness and Dementia-Friendly Companionship, gives staff and volunteers the knowledge and practical skills needed to support people living with dementia in a person-centred way.
Course information
This course is designed for anyone involved in delivering, organising, supervising, or managing companionship services. It gives a shared foundation so that support remains consistent, safe, and respectful across different roles.
Course detail | Information |
Course title | Dementia Awareness & Dementia-Friendly Companionship |
Course reference | MT26 |
Target audience | All companions, volunteers, team leaders, coordinators, and management staff |
Duration | 3 hours |
Delivery method | E-learning, virtual classroom, or face-to-face training |
Refresher period | Every 3 years |
Assessment | 10 randomly selected questions from a bank of 15 questions |
Pass mark | 80% |
The course can support new starters, experienced companions, volunteers who need structured guidance, and leadership teams who want a consistent approach to dementia-friendly practice.
Why dementia awareness matters in companionship
Dementia is a term used to describe a set of symptoms that affect the brain. These symptoms may include memory loss, difficulty finding words, problems with planning, changes in mood, confusion, and reduced ability to manage everyday tasks.
Dementia is common among older adults, although it is not a normal part of ageing. Some people live with mild symptoms for a long time, while others need increasing support as their condition progresses. Experiences vary widely, which is why companions need to avoid assumptions.
A person living with dementia may still enjoy:
Music, books, films, television, and familiar hobbies
Walks, gardening, faith activities, or time outdoors
Conversations about family, work, travel, or past experiences
Helping with simple household routines
Visiting familiar places in the community
Quiet company without pressure to talk
Good companionship helps protect these parts of life. It can reduce loneliness, support confidence, and help the person remain connected to their identity and community.
The aim is not to “fix” dementia. The aim is to offer support that understands the person, reduces distress, and keeps dignity at the centre.
What learners will understand about dementia
MT26 starts with the basics: what dementia is, how it may present, and why different people experience it in different ways.
The training explores common types of dementia, including:
Alzheimer’s disease
Vascular dementia
Lewy body dementia
Frontotemporal dementia
Mixed dementia
Each type may affect thinking, communication, movement, behaviour, or emotions differently. For example, one person may mainly struggle with short-term memory. Another may have changes in language, judgement, sleep, or visual perception.
This matters in companionship because support should match the person, not the diagnosis alone.
A companion may notice that someone:
Repeats the same question several times
Loses track of the day or time
Becomes anxious in unfamiliar places
Struggles to follow long conversations
Finds too much noise or activity overwhelming
Misplaces items and believes someone has moved them
Becomes upset when routines change
Training helps learners see these situations through a dementia-aware lens. The behaviour may be a form of communication. A person might be frightened, tired, in pain, overstimulated, hungry, embarrassed, or unable to explain what they need.
Dementia-friendly companionship starts with curiosity, patience, and respect.
This content is for training and general awareness. It does not replace medical advice, diagnosis, or care planning by qualified health and social care professionals.
Person-centred support keeps dignity at the centre
A dementia-friendly approach begins with the person’s life story, preferences, routines, strengths, and choices.
Person-centred support asks:
What does this person enjoy?
What helps them feel safe?
What routines matter to them?
What topics or activities bring comfort?
What causes worry, frustration, or distress?
How do they prefer to communicate?
What can they do independently with the right support?
This approach protects dignity because it avoids treating the person as a list of symptoms. It recognises that they have a history, personality, relationships, preferences, beliefs, and rights.
Supporting independence without taking over
Companions often want to help quickly, especially when someone seems unsure or stuck. Yet doing everything for the person can reduce confidence and independence.
A better approach is to offer the right amount of support at the right time. That might mean:
Giving one clear prompt
Breaking an activity into smaller steps
Offering two simple choices
Using familiar routines
Allowing extra time
Praising effort without sounding patronising
Stepping in only when safety or distress requires it
For example, if someone is making a cup of tea and forgets the next step, a companion might say, “The cups are just here,” rather than taking over the whole task. This keeps the person involved and respects their ability.
Protecting choice and control
Dementia can make decision-making harder, but people should still be supported to make choices wherever possible.
Small choices matter. A person may be able to choose:
Which jumper to wear
Whether to sit indoors or in the garden
What music to listen to
Whether to have tea or juice
Which route to take on a short walk
Whether they want conversation or quiet company
When choices become overwhelming, companions can reduce pressure. Instead of asking, “What would you like to do today?” they might say, “Would you prefer to look at your photo album or water the plants?”
Communication skills for dementia-friendly companionship
Communication often changes as dementia progresses. A person may struggle to find words, follow long sentences, process questions, or explain feelings. They may use gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, or behaviour to communicate instead.
MT26 helps learners develop communication that is calm, kind, and practical.
Good dementia-friendly communication includes:
Speaking clearly and slowly
Using short sentences
Asking one question at a time
Giving the person time to respond
Keeping eye contact if it feels comfortable for them
Using the person’s preferred name
Reducing background noise
Avoiding arguments about facts
Not testing memory with questions such as “Do you remember?”
Paying attention to body language
Tone matters as much as words. A rushed, sharp, or corrective tone can increase distress. A calm voice can help someone feel safer, even if they do not understand every word.
Responding to repeated questions
Repeated questions are common. A person may not remember asking, or they may be seeking reassurance rather than information.
If someone asks several times, “When is my daughter coming?” the useful response may be gentle reassurance:
“She is coming this afternoon. You are safe here with me while we wait.”
Writing the answer on a visible note may help some people. For others, distraction through a pleasant activity may be more effective. The key is to avoid irritation or saying, “I already told you.”
When reality feels different for the person
A person living with dementia may believe they need to go to work, collect children from school, or visit a parent who died many years ago. Correcting them sharply can cause grief, fear, or anger.
A more compassionate response focuses on the feeling behind the words. If someone says, “I need to get home to my mum,” a companion might respond:
“You’re thinking about your mum. Tell me about her.”
This validates the emotion without reinforcing unsafe action. If the person remains distressed or tries to leave in an unsafe way, the companion should follow organisational procedures and seek support.
Responding to distress and confusion safely
Distress can appear as agitation, withdrawal, calling out, pacing, tearfulness, suspicion, or refusal to engage. These responses often have a cause, even when that cause is not obvious.
A dementia-aware companion looks for possible triggers:
Pain or discomfort
Hunger or thirst
Tiredness
Too much noise
A change in routine
Feeling rushed
Unfamiliar people or places
Difficulty understanding what is happening
Fear, grief, or embarrassment
The first response should be calm and non-confrontational. Companions should create space, reduce stimulation where possible, and use reassuring words.
Helpful responses include:
“You seem worried. I’m here with you.”
“Let’s sit somewhere quieter.”
“We can take our time.”
“Would you like a drink?”
“Let’s do this together.”
If distress increases, there is a risk of harm, or the person’s behaviour changes suddenly, companions should follow safeguarding, reporting, and escalation procedures. Sudden confusion or significant changes may need urgent attention from appropriate professionals.
Safeguarding is part of dementia-friendly practice
People living with dementia may be at greater risk of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or avoidable harm. They may find it harder to report concerns, remember details, or challenge unsafe situations.
Safeguarding awareness is a core part of MT26. Learners should understand how to recognise possible signs of concern and how to report them according to organisational policy.
Possible safeguarding concerns may include:
Unexplained injuries
Poor hygiene or untreated health needs
Fearfulness around certain people
Missing money or unusual financial activity
Unsafe living conditions
Pressure from others to make decisions
Emotional distress linked to visits, calls, or relationships
Neglect of food, fluids, medicines, or basic care
Companions should not investigate concerns themselves. Their role is to observe, record accurately, report promptly, and follow the correct safeguarding pathway.
Clear recording matters. Notes should be factual, dated, and free from judgement. For example, “Mary said, ‘I am scared when he visits,’” is more useful than “Mary seemed dramatic.”
Professional boundaries protect everyone
Companionship can become warm and familiar, especially when visits happen regularly. That warmth is valuable, but it must sit within clear professional boundaries.
Boundaries help protect the person receiving support, the companion, and the organisation.
Good boundaries include:
Following the agreed role and care or support plan
Not giving medical, legal, or financial advice
Not accepting inappropriate gifts or money
Not sharing personal problems with the person
Not making private arrangements outside policy
Respecting confidentiality
Reporting concerns through the correct route
Avoiding dependency or blurred relationships
A companion can be friendly without becoming a family member. They can be kind without overstepping. They can listen without taking on responsibilities that belong to relatives, health professionals, social care teams, or managers.
Team leaders, coordinators, and managers also need this training so they can support staff with difficult decisions, unclear situations, and risk concerns.
Legislation, standards, and organisational policies
Dementia-friendly companionship does not happen in isolation. It sits within the wider legal and policy framework for care, support, equality, privacy, and safeguarding.
Training should help learners understand the relevance of:
The Care Act 2014
The Mental Capacity Act 2005
The Equality Act 2010
UK data protection requirements
Safeguarding adults procedures
Health and safety duties
Organisational codes of conduct
Confidentiality and record-keeping policies
Medication, incident, and escalation procedures where relevant
The Mental Capacity Act is especially relevant. It starts from the principle that adults should be assumed to have capacity unless shown otherwise. People should receive support to make their own decisions, and any decision made on someone’s behalf must be in their best interests and use the least restrictive option.
For companions, this reinforces a simple standard: support choice wherever possible, do not assume inability, and seek guidance when decisions raise risk or uncertainty.
What successful completion should lead to
By the end of MT26, learners should be able to apply dementia awareness in real companionship situations, not just recall definitions.
They should be able to:
Understand what dementia is and how it may affect daily life.
Recognise common types of dementia and broad differences between them.
Understand that each person’s experience is individual.
Communicate in ways that reduce pressure and support understanding.
Promote dignity, independence, and wellbeing.
Plan and deliver dementia-friendly companionship.
Recognise safeguarding concerns and report them properly.
Respond calmly to distress, confusion, and changes in behaviour.
Maintain professional boundaries.
10. Follow relevant law, standards, and organisational policies.
The assessment checks understanding through 10 randomly selected questions from a bank of 15, with an 80% pass mark. Refresher training every 3 years helps keep knowledge current and reinforces good practice.
Dementia-friendly companionship is built through ordinary actions done well. It means slowing down, listening carefully, offering choices, noticing distress, protecting dignity, and seeing the person before the condition. When companions understand dementia, they can help people stay connected to what gives their day comfort, meaning, and familiarity.
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