Caring for a family member or friend with dementia?
Two-thirds of people with dementia live at home, and most rely on support from family or friends. But caring can take a toll and around 40% of carers experience anxiety or depression.
That’s where START (Strategies for Relatives) training can help.
Teesside Mind offers a free, flexible 8-week programme designed for family and friends living in the Redcar & Cleveland area that are caring for someone living with dementia. Developed by UCL with input from people who have personal experience of caring for someone with dementia, the START training is practical and focused on your well-being.
Each session is an hour long and led by a member of the Teesside Mind team. Sessions fit around your caring responsibilities, and by the end, you’ll have a personalised plan to support you and your loved one.
What you’ll learn across 8 weekly sessions:
1. How to manage stress and look after your own well-being
2. Tips for clearer, calmer communication
3. Ways to handle difficult or distressing behaviour
4. How and where to access local support and resources
5. Tools for planning ahead
6. Strategies to stay connected and improve day to day life
What to expect
These sessions are all about you. They focus on your thoughts, feelings, and reactions to the challenges of caring. You’ll learn how to:
• Understand and cope with behaviours linked to memory loss and dementia
• Learn how to respond in ways that reduce distress for both of you
• Develop skills and strategies to help you cope better
• Support your loved one’s independence and well-being
• Find time and techniques to relax and recharge
• Plan for you and your relative’s future needs
Why it matters
START training gives you tools and confidence to care more effectively, feel less overwhelmed, and build stronger, more positive moments with your loved one. It’s about helping both of you live better day to day, and long term.
Megan Hutchinson, Dementia Project Officer at Teesside Mind, who delivers the training, explains: "I know just how much caring for someone with dementia can impact your own wellbeing. That’s why I’m so passionate about helping carers find ways to look after themselves too. This programme is all about making sure families can live well with dementia. We’ve had brilliant feedback from people who’ve done the programme. They come away feeling more confident, supported, and less alone, and I’d love to see even more carers benefit from it."
To help deliver the programme, Teesside Mind is looking for volunteers to support in a variety of roles from admin and refreshments to group support, coaching, marketing, and community outreach.
"Volunteers can give as little as a few hours a month, and we provide full training and support," says Carolyn Watts, Community Development Lead for START Dementia at Teesside Mind. "Our goal is to make the START training programme accessible to even more families and friends affected by dementia, and having a strong volunteer team is key to that. People often describe the programme as life-changing, so volunteering with us is a really meaningful way to make a difference."
To find out more about the START programme contact
Megan Hutchinson, Dementia Project Officer, Redcar and Cleveland
Email: Megan.Hutchinson@teessidemind.org.uk
Tel: 01642 257020 main office number
Mob: 07514733227 for Megan
Interested in volunteering? Contact
Carolyn Watts, Community Development (START Dementia)
Email: Carolyn.Watts@teessidemind.org.uk
Mob: 07860 267833
Tel: 01642 257020
