A total of 20 healthcare workers have passed an advanced course in dementia care.

The course was organised by Yana Swainson, owner of Bermuda In Home Care, who invited Bernice Perzel, a dementia care training specialist from the American-based National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners, to run the training session.

Ms Swainson said: “Dementia is a very difficult disease and requires skilled caregivers to care for those affected with the disease.

“Dementia is a disease that steals someone’s life from underneath them. Can you imagine losing all memories of your life and not recognising your loved ones?”

Ms Swainson, a home healthcare co-ordinator who specialises in wound and dementia care, added the training was needed to help caregivers understand the disease.

She added: “Recently, we have been inundated with phone calls for dementia care.

“We, as caregivers, needed to step into the world of a dementia patient to understand the way their brain works.

“This is exactly what this training was about.”

The seven-hour training for the caregivers, 18 of whom work for Bermuda In Home Care, was held over two days in September.

Ms Swainson explained: “The training involved interactive role-play and activities that let us see into the world of someone with dementia.”

It also included different techniques on how to provide care if a patient becomes combative.

All 20 participants who completed the training and passed the exam were presented with certificates and pins during a ceremony on Saturday.

Ms Swainson said they will have to renew their certification every two years through “continuous education”.