A care provider covering Lyme Regis is looking to continue its series of free workshops to support the elderly.

Home Instead Exeter and East Devon led 40 free workshops across the region in 2023 – including Lyme Regis – covering all types of topics.

The later life subjects included scam awareness, avoiding falls and hospitalisation, staying nourished, choosing the right care and dementia awareness.

The company says that this success was undoubtedly down to the dedicated efforts of its community engagement team, but also due to a marked increase in interest from followers and counterparts in the sector.

The engagement team also directly engaged with businesses via two dedicated 'Dementia Awareness for Business' workshops, one of which took place in Lyme Regis, and is looking to continue the initiative in 2024.

Home Instead Exeter & East Devon Marketing Manager, Sharon Coombes, said: “Being a dementia aware business enables the entire community to access services, and to feel confident that they will be treated considerately, and with empathy when they do.

"It’s a win, win situation whereby options are opened for both parties of service user and service provider.

“With regard to dementia, creating an ‘aware’ community also benefits our own clients and care professionals, widening the scope for interesting, welcoming and safe places for them to visit, together.

“Our ‘Out Instead’ project is proof of this, and includes a variety of accessible local organisations which we then feature on our website and in our popular e-newsletter. In many cases, the organisations themselves also go on to became ‘dementia aware’ as part of the project.”

Home Instead believe that if residents are to succeed in meeting the needs of family members, clients and the wider community (by creating safer environments) it will take collective interest and effort.

The initiative reached a wide variety of audiences, including assisted living facilities, residential homes, community organisations, voluntary groups, and in healthcare settings for carer groups, support providers.

These welcomed attendees from a host of areas including legal and financial sectors, the construction industry, residential care settings, leisure and hospitality organisations and many more.

The last year also saw the return of a popular annual community event, the Home Instead 'Ageing-Well Information Day', which took place in Budleigh Salterton, in Devon and hosted over 30 local and national support, advisory and leisure service providers.

The event welcomed in excess of 300 visitors, and looks set to be repeated in 2024, with a similar event coming to Lyme Regis.

For more information contact the Home Instead Community Engagement Team on 01395 200600 or visit their Facebook page @hiexetereastdevon.