KPN and Telfort stores to become dementia-friendly

Retail staff get training in dealing with dementia

KPN and Telfort want to be able to give better service to people with dementia, so they are giving all retail staff a training course on “Coping with dementia”. “We are getting an increasing number of disoriented people in our stores. Some might have forgotten why they have come, others might not remember they had been in before”, says Marjolein van Hooijdonk, director KPN Retail. “The purpose of the training courses is to ensure that we can give the best possible service to customers that appear disoriented when they enter the store. The training helps our staff to gauge whether a customer is suffering from dementia and to tailor the conversation towards achieving a positive outcome. This breaks down barriers and makes employees more self-assured.”

Certificate

In a large number of stores more than 70% of the staff have taken the training course. These stores have been awarded the “dementia-friendly” certificate. They also get a corresponding sticker to go on the store window. “Our aim is for all the stores to have this certificate soon”, adds Van Hooijdonk.

Dementia-friendly together

The training is part of the program “Samen dementievriendelijk” [Dementia-friendly together], a joint initiative of Alzheimer Nederland, pension fund company PGGM and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. It provides information and practical tips on how to recognize dementia in everyday life and to cope with it effectively. Research has shown that people in the Netherlands are keen to find out how to support people with dementia but generally don’t know how to go about it.

Number of people with dementia is growing

Currently there are around 270,000 people with dementia living in the Netherlands. As the average age is rising gradually, this number will reach more than 500,000 in 2040. 70% of all people with dementia live at home and take an active part in the community. So we come across people with dementia more and more frequently on the street and in shops. Dozens of organizations have so far gone to Samen dementievriendelijk to get training on how to cope with people with dementia. A dementia-friendly organization offers a safe environment for all customers and visitors, even those with dementia.