Society is finally waking up to dementia, dropping the irrational fears and catching up with medical science in recognising that dementia is a medical condition.
Which hopefully means that I can now say to you: dementia is a customer service opportunity.
People with dementia are no longer being assumed to have lost control. They expect to be supported to keep control of as much of their lives as they can for as long as possible. The business, the service provider, the shop that can make the person with dementia – and their supporters – feel safe, respected and in control is the business that will get the repeat custom of that person with dementia. And of their supporters.
“It was the only place we took Dad to. They seemed to understand, without drawing attention to his condition. They were fantastic”
Just for a moment, imagine you have dementia...
…Your grandson is getting married soon and your daughter has been reminding you constantly that you have a treat coming – she is taking you to buy a hat. You’re looking forward to it.
You go to the hat shop with your daughter. You haven’t been there before, but it’s full of lovely hats.
When you've been there a short while your brain lets go of the fact that you are there shopping for a hat for the wedding. You ask “What am I doing here?”
A person you don’t know tells you that you are going to buy a hat. They are holding a hat with a £200 price ticket on it in right front of your face. They are going to make you give them £200 for a hat. Your brain has let go of everything about the wedding, and as this person throws questions at you about something you know nothing about your brain lets go of your grandson, your family. You want to be safe, and the safest place is your mother’s kitchen. But there’s a dark cloud in your mind about your mother’s kitchen, you’re not sure how to get there. Your brain has let go of the fact that your mother passed way 26 years ago. There’s another woman here, saying something about your daughter, but you’re too young to have a daughter so she must be saying you’re her daughter, but she’s not your mother. You want to get away. You want them to leave you alone and let you go.
Now imagine you are the owner of the hat shop. How is your day turning out?
Most dementia awareness training has so far concentrated on professional carers and, to a lesser extent, on the informal carers, the family members. I know this because I’ve been delivering and facilitating dementia awareness and skills training for nearly a decade.
This training is focused on promoting independence. Continuing to be the customer, not a “case”, or a “victim”, or a “sufferer” is the ultimate independence. Promoting that independence, being the business that can respect that customer in their changing needs is simply excellent customer service, with all the benefits that brings, to the customer and to the business.
Dementia is a customer service opportunity.
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