A successful Bermudian-designed course to train potential dementia and Alzheimer caregivers is set to return after being adopted internationally.

Carol Everson, of the Bermuda Legion, said that while 100 people went through the course locally to become home caregivers last year, the programme has trained thousands internationally since then. “This course was written for Bermuda, and created for us,” she said. “There was so much interest in the course that our organisation practically collapsed. Even with three phone lines and e-mails, we were overwhelmed. People wanted to be on the course and couldn’t. In fact, we had 400 people express interest in the course, but we were only able to take the 100.

“Since then, the Bermuda Caregivers course has been given in Greece, where they trained 1,000 care givers, and 600 professionals, and then Bangladesh, Malaysia and Indonesia. I like that we can say that this is something created for and by Bermuda and it is now spreading throughout the world in places where it is really needed. And the numbers they trained in Greece is phenomenal.”

The initiative was hoped to both assist the estimated 2,000 seniors on the island who suffer from dementia or Alzheimer’s while helping others develop a valuable skill.

“Dementia kills,” Ms Everson said. “It destroys the brain cells and the cognitive functions until the person who was there is no longer.

“The pressure for good nursing home places is extraordinary, but by bringing in a course with Alzheimers Disease International we were able to train 100 home caregivers to the point where they could get Red Cross or St John Ambulance references and register with Ageing and Disabilities Services and get paid for caring for their loved ones at home, which was a win-win.”

As a result of the heavy demand for the course — along with the need for trained care givers — she said the Bermuda Legion is set to host another training session in January or February next year.

And while the organisation said it is prepared to cover the costs if needed, it is hoping for donations to assist in the important project.

“Last year, we paid the cost for the course and we didn’t limit entry to our war veterans,” she said. “We wanted it to be a gift for the whole community, but we provided it to war veteran’s family members for free. Again, the Bermuda Legion will cover the costs, but it would be lovely to find donations to assist, and we will this time also be training two master trainers so the course can be given in Bermuda again without sponsorship on a rolling basis.”

She said the fee for the weeklong course is $75, but that fee was waived in certain cases when multiple family members were involved or if there was a particular hardship.