Liberty Pharmacy in Thurles has been working closely with Home Instead Senior Care to deliver awareness-raising and information resources to branch colleagues, which will help them provide a more Dementia Friendly service to people with dementia, their families and carers. 

Speaking about the initiative, Kate Kennedy of the local pharmacy said: “We have found this workshop to be really useful, and would encourage other businesses and organisations to consider undertaking a dementia friendly training programme to help make our community a more age-friendly one”.

Michael Wright, Owner and Managing Director of Home Instead Senior Care in Thurles said: "Managing medication is a major concern for people with dementia and their families. Liberty Pharmacy is setting a standard in customer service by ensuring staff are trained to understand dementia symptoms and better communicate with customers. It is encouraging for families to see the pharmacy take the lead, and I hope it encourages more businesses in the local community to become dementia friendly”.

Following the completion of Home Instead Senior Care’s dementia training programme, Liberty Pharmacy displays a ‘Dementia Friendly’ window sticker. This lets people in the community know that their local pharmacy is committed to delivering dementia friendly banking and that they will receive a professional and caring service from employees.

The Dementia Friendly initiative was brought to the community by Home Instead Senior Care. The programme enables banks and other businesses to avail of free training to help equip employees with information and resources needed to welcome families who are caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia.

Businesses can work directly with the local Home Instead Senior Care office to coordinate in-person training. Once the training is successfully completed, businesses will receive a window cling with the Dementia Friendly Business designation. The designation will be valid for two years.