The 89-room Lifehouse Spa and Hotel in Thorpe-le-Soken has announced a collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Society to offer Dementia Friend Information Sessions to its entire staff.
The aim is to provide a high level of service for guests living with dementia.
The Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Friends is the biggest ever initiative to transform the way the nation thinks, acts and talks about dementia. Becoming a Dementia Friend means finding out more about how dementia affects a person and then, armed with this understanding, doing small everyday things that help.
Once all Lifehouse team members have received the Dementia Friend Information Sessions, the company will then identify actions it can take, and changes which can be made based on what is known to be important to people affected by dementia.
The Hotel and Spa, which specialises in the art of wellbeing, is hoping to pave the way in the industry by raising awareness resort-wide, as it did with Cancer Aware training in 2014.
Anne Coupe-Harris, Support Officer/Dementia champion at Alzheimer’s Society, says: “We have over 20,000 people living with dementia in Essex and they should feel valued and able to continue being part of society. Life does not stop when dementia starts. I applaud Lifehouse for the work they are doing around dementia.”
Danielle Alen, Spa and Hotel Director at Lifehouse, says: “We are keen to lead the way by becoming the first UK spa to be ‘Dementia Friendly’.
“With dementia now the leading cause of death in England and Wales, it’s something that affects so many of us. As a designated place to come for relaxation and recuperation, a spa should be able to welcome those living with dementia, as we do with those going through cancer. This is something very close to my heart and I am passionate about equipping our staff with the tools to be able to fulfil our guests’ needs at every level.”
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