Assisting passengers with dementia

Hull-based bus company East Yorkshire has worked with Hull Dementia Alliance to help its drivers understand dementia, so that they can give a better service to their passengers.

East Yorkshire bus drivers have gone back to school to learn how to assist passengers with dementia.

The company’s training department has worked with Hull Dementia Alliance to put together a bespoke Understanding Dementia course for bus drivers, to help them understand how the condition can affect people, how to recognise it, and what to do to assist people with the condition.

Dementia is becoming more and more visible in society, and bus drivers are often finding themselves faced with the challenge of finding a confused and vulnerable passenger on their buses, who is lost, and sometimes cannot remember where they are going or where they live.  The Understanding Dementia course is designed to allow bus drivers to recognise when a person is showing mild or severe symptoms of dementia, understand the condition and how it can affect people’s view of the world, and give them advice on how to help sufferers.

East Yorkshire’s Recruitment and Training Manager and Dementia Ambassador, Darren Kendrew, says: “Working closely with dementia action groups has really opened up my eyes to the problems that dementia sufferers face in society, so I’ve been delighted with the response we’ve had from our drivers who’ve taken the course.  Many of them say that as well as helping them in their professional role as a bus driver, it’s also been invaluable in understanding the needs of family members who suffer from the condition.”

Find out more about East Yorkshire Buses at www.eastyorkshirebuses.co.uk.