Hartlepool shop staff offer warm welcome to dementia sufferers

The team at Specsavers in Hartlepool are now Dementia Friends, meaning they are qualified to better understand the needs of customers who have the condition.

It is thanks to an initiative run by the Alzheimer’s Society which has been offered to all Specsavers stores across the UK.

On completion of the training, the workers at Specsavers in Middleton Grange shopping centre were presented with badges to wear which highlight their training and understanding of the condition to customers.

The badges also ensure they can be easily recognised as a Dementia Friend by customers.

Ian Walker, store director at Specsavers Hartlepool, said: “We are very keen to complete training courses which we feel will be invaluable to our customers.

“When Dementia Friends training was offered to us, we immediately signed up – it’s such a worthwhile cause.

“We now have the confidence to care for any customer who comes in-store and needs additional help because of a disease like Alzheimer’s.

“The fact that Specsavers can offer this training is really fantastic.”

According to the organisation Dementia Friendly Hartlepool, there are more than 5,000 Dementia Friends in the town.

Anyone of any age can be a Dementia Friend and every action counts.

For more information visit the website www.dementiafriends.org.uk