CARERS at the two Stonehaven Care Homes in West Devon — Kent House in Okehampton and Chollacott Residential Home in Tavistock — were given the opportunity to attend the Virtual Dementia training tour.

Virtual Dementia training has been running in the UK for two years, but this is the first time that a mobile version contained in a bus has been available.

Even with the 21st century’s improvement in finding carers for illness and disease, the cure for dementia is still thought to be at least a decade away. Because of this is is important for care homes and home carers to continue improving their recognition and methods of caring for those with the difficult illness.

Those involved with dementia welcomed the recent launch of the mobile Virtual Dementia Tour, which will lead to greater understanding of the problems faced by sufferers of dementia and their carers.

Stonehaven Care Group managers were grateful for the opportunity to attend the training and were so impressed, they arranged for the tour bus to visit several of their homes in the South West, including in Tavistock and Okehampton.

Stephen Stone, managing director and chair of the Stonehaven Group, said: ‘We are delighted to have hosted the mobile Virtual Dementia Tour bus and hope that many family carers and professionals will book in for what may well be an invaluable experience.’