A day in the life of a Dementia Support Worker

Joining the Middleton Park Lodge team as Care Assistant in January 2023, Silvia Rodrigues now specialises in caring for people living with dementia, and recently accepted the role of Dementia Support Worker. We spoke to Silvia about her new role and what a typical day caring for people in one of our Reconnect communities entails.

“I started my role of Dementia Support Worker in September 2023, after being a Care Assistant for the residential and nursing communities for just 9 months. The opportunity to become a Dementia Support Worker arose when they announced a brand new, dementia-specialist Reconnect community at Middleton Park Lodge Nursing Home – I was very excited to accept the role and specialise in an area that I’m passionate about.

On an average day as Dementia Support Worker, I support the residents with their personal, nutritional and emotional needs. This can include anything from prompting residents to eat meals, helping to wash and keep up with their hygiene, and being by their side during times of distress.

Alongside our Activity Co-Ordinator, I help keep residents engaged by planning and implementing meaningful activities; such as going for a walk outdoors, having a dance to their favourite song or just simply chatting and catching up over a cup of tea. I love getting to know the residents so I can find out their hobbies, and help rediscover them!

I’ve always felt that the Middleton Park Lodge Nursing Home team is genuinely one big family, and we all have the same common goal: to keep residents safe, happy and comfortable during their time in our Reconnect community.

A career in care is incredibly rewarding, and I’d recommend being a Dementia Support Worker to anyone interested in specialising in dementia care. My biggest advice when starting the role would be to put yourself in the persons shoes, and treat them with the same care and compassion you’d treat your own loved ones. There are still too many negative stereotypes associated with dementia, and as a Dementia Support Worker, it’s our job to eradicate those derogatory implications and treat residents like human beings.

I absolutely love my role and it’s an honour to learn about all the inspiring things residents have done throughout their lives – I’m so glad I made the decision to become a Dementia Support Worker!”

Thank you to Silvia for taking the time to speak to us! If you’d like to know more about becoming a Dementia Support Worker in one of our innovative Reconnect communities, check out our latest roles here:

Job Search