Dementia Training Programme

Primary Care Dementia Training Programme

Please find below information on an exciting upcoming training programme centred around dementia.

These sessions will cover a wide range of topics including: Recognising early signs & symptoms of dementia, pre-referral assessment, differentiating dementia, delirium and depression, pharmacological management of the different dementia subtypes, post-diagnostic support in the community, behavioural and emotional expressions of unmet need in dementia, advance care planning / end of life in dementia and many more.

These sessions will take place online on the Learning Management System on the below dates from 13:00 - 14:00:

• Wednesday 28th January - Pharmacological Management in Dementia
• Wednesday 4th February - Dementia post diagnostic support in the community *Booking now open*
• Wednesday 11th February - Recognition, support and intervention for people with dementia experiencing behavioural and emotional expressions of unmet need (aka BPSD) and their families/carers
• Wednesday 25th February - Diagnosing advanced dementia in care homes, advanced care planning and supporting people with dementia toward end of life *booking now open*.

Details and booking pages will be updated ahead of each session.

Please note each session is booked separately.

Pharmacological Management in Dementia - Wednesday 28th of January

Learning Objectives:

• To build confidence in prescribing in primary care.
• To highlight the importance of monitoring as part of the shared care protocol.

Speaker for the session: Dr Felicity Jones

Felicity is an Older Adult Consultant Psychiatrist currently working for both the Early Intervention Dementia Service and Community Older Adult Mental Health Team in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire. Felicity’s special interests are medical education and palliative care.

Dementia post diagnostic support in the community - Wednesday 4th of February

We will discuss the post diagnostic support services available for people living with dementia and their families in Herefordshire & Worcestershire including how to refer to them, as well as the range of national organisations that provide information and support.

Learning objectives:

• To raise awareness of the post diagnostic support available for people living with dementia and their families locally
• To increase knowledge of services to signpost and refer people to
• To improve links between primary care, secondary care and VCSE organisations to enhance the support offered to people living with dementia and their families

The training session will be delivered by:

Dr Joanne Martin, Clinical Psychologist, who has worked within Older Adult Mental Health services in Worcestershire for over 20 years and within the Worcestershire Early Intervention Dementia Service for 8 years.

Kirsty Lewis, Lead Admiral Nurse for Herefordshire and Worcestershire - Admiral Nurses support the family members of people living with dementia.

Lila Williams, Local Service Manager, Herefordshire and Worcestershire Alzheimer’s Society

Saffron Davies, Learning Disabilities Nurse with a specialist interest in dementia, South Worcestershire Community Learning Disability Team

Recognition, support and intervention for people with dementia experiencing behavioural and emotional expressions of unmet need (aka BPSD) and their families/carers - Wednesday 11th of February

Speakers for the session:

Dr Julia Cook and Dr Lathika Weerasena

Dr Cook is a consultant clinical neuropsychologist and the lead for psychological interventions in dementia for Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust. She works clinically in the Early Intervention in Dementia Service in Worcestershire. Her passions include enhancing equitable access to dementia diagnosis and post-diagnostic support through clinical work, systems-based working and education.

Dr Lathika Weerasena- Consultant in OA Psychiatry
MBBS (Colombo) MD(Psychiatry) MRCPsych (UK)
Certificate in Palliative Medicine (Princess Alice Hospice, Surrey)

Dr Weerasena is a consultant in the NHS, in the sub specialism of OA Psychiatry for 17 years.
With experience in both in the Community setting and in the Organic/ Dementia Ward settings in the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust.

Dr Weerasena worked as an Associate Specialist in OA Psych for 4 years in the Queen Elizabeth Psychiatric Hospital, Birmingham, which was a tertiary centre for Mental Health in the region.

While a Higher Trainee in OA Psych;

• Chair of the 5^th National Higher Trainee conference in OA Psych
• Winner of the Cloak Medal for the best presentation in the Division of Psychiatry, Birmingham Medical Institute

Special interests include Dementia, Delirium, Palliative care in Dementia and Education and Training of all categories of professionals in health.

Involved in the WM Regional Educational programme for the Tier based mandatory training in Dementia.

Trust wise: Developed the first proforma for the assessment of the Physical Health symptoms specifically, in Inpatients/ OA wards.

Medical member in the Task and Finish groups of developing the BEEUN (BPSD) educational packs in Dementia (2022) and incorporating Delirium training (2023-2024) in Tier 2 Education Training.

Currently involved in the Delirium Working Group in the Worcestershire and Herefordshire Health and Care Trust and contributed to review of the Delirium Policy.

Has several posters and publications to the credit, mainly in Dementia and Education and Training, together with Colleagues.

In October 2025 was invited to speak on BPSD ( BEEUN) by the  Sr Lanka College of Psychiatry.

Learning objectives:

• To enhance confidence in recognising behavioural and emotional expressions of unmet needs/BPSD in people living with dementia
• To understand the importance of excluding physical health factors prior to referral (e.g., infections, pain, delirium)
• To enhance clinician confidence in educating family carers and care homes regarding behavioural and emotional expressions of unmet need /BPSD
• To increase awareness of non-pharmacological approaches as first-line treatments, and to signpost to the Behavioural and Emotional Expressions of Unmet Needs information and guidance pack
• To advise on pharmacological approaches to reduce distress when necessary

Diagnosing advanced dementia in care homes, advanced care planning and supporting people with dementia toward end of life - Wednesday 25th of February

Speakers for the session:

Dr Julia Cook and Dr Felicity Jones.

Felicity is an Older Adult Consultant Psychiatrist currently working for both the Early Intervention Dementia Service and Community Older Adult Mental Health Team in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire. Felicity’s special interests are medical education and palliative care.

Dr Cook is a consultant clinical neuropsychologist and the lead for psychological interventions in dementia for Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust. She works clinically in the Early Intervention in Dementia Service in Worcestershire. Her passions include enhancing equitable access to dementia diagnosis and post-diagnostic support through clinical work, systems-based working and education.

Learning objectives:

• To highlight the benefits of both dementia diagnosis and post-diagnostic support for people living in care homes and their families
• To discuss the utility of the DiADeM tool
• To enhance confidence in diagnosing advanced dementia in care home settings
• To improve the recognition of end of life in patients with a diagnosis of Dementia
• To highlight the differences in presentation and ability to communicate needs
• To improve clinicians knowledge on terminal agitation and how this may differ depending on diagnosis
• To increase awareness of the "just in case" medications and other medications used
• To highlight the importance of early advanced care planning

For support and enquiries please email traininghub@taurushealthcare.co.uk