How Emotional Intelligence Can Help Families Cope with Dementia Carer Stress
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Most dementia training teaches carers what to do, but not how to feel. Meanwhile, 9 in 10 carers report dementia carer stress or anxiety (Alzheimer’s Society UK). Experts argue that this gap between clinical tasks and emotional resilience leaves carers unprepared for the realities of dementia care.
At HP Homecare, we believe better care begins with better understanding. That’s why we created Dementia Compass; a free, experience-based training toolkit designed to elevate the emotional skillset of carers and families alike.
In this article, we explore why emotional intelligence (EQ) matters just as much as clinical know-how, and why the future of dementia care depends on it.
The Hidden Curriculum of Dementia Care
Standard dementia care training often focuses on physical safety, daily routines, and responding to behaviours that challenge. These are vital, but they only tell half the story.
What’s missing is emotional literacy: the ability to recognise distress, defuse fear, respond with empathy, and preserve a person’s dignity even as their memory fades. These moments are where care breaks down or transforms lives.
Families and carers are too often left to figure it out on their own, leaving them vulnerable to dementia carer burnout.
“When people ask what makes our care different, it’s not a checklist of tasks, it’s how we handle the silences, the confusion, the fear. That’s what Dementia Compass is built to teach.” — Michele Jogee, HP Homecare
Why Emotional Intelligence Isn’t ‘Soft’—It’s Essential
EQ in dementia care isn’t a luxury. It’s a frontline skill.
Carers face emotional highs and lows every day, yet few are taught how to navigate them. Without support, this leads to disconnection, frustration, and all too often, burnout. In fact, Alzheimer’s Society research found that 90% of carers experience dementia carer stress or anxiety, often related to emotional overwhelm and isolation.
By contrast, emotionally informed care leads to:
- Fewer distress responses from clients
- Greater trust between carers and families
- Longer-term continuity of care and improved outcomes
(Source: Brooker, D. (2004). What is person-centred care in dementia?)
What Training Gets Wrong and How to Fix It
Too often, care training focuses on what to do without explaining why someone might behave a certain way or how to respond with empathy.
For example:
When a client accuses a carer of stealing, the instinct is to correct them. → But a carer trained in emotional cues may recognise the behaviour as a sign of fear or disorientation, not hostility.
When a person refuses to eat, the assumption may be loss of appetite. → But it could be embarrassment from not knowing how to use a knife and fork anymore.
Training that builds this kind of insight not only improves outcomes, it improves confidence and reduces the likelihood of carer stress.
How Dementia Compass Fills the Gap
Dementia Compass was inspired by a 12-year journey of continuous care for one couple, and shaped by decades of hands-on experience supporting people living with dementia and the families who care for them. It covers not just what to do, but how to connect.
The modules teach:
- How to identify emotional distress early
- How to communicate calmly and clearly
- How to protect a client’s dignity in difficult moments
- How to care without becoming emotionally depleted
It’s free to access, designed for family carers, professionals, and care leaders, and easy to explore.
“We built Dementia Compass because we couldn’t find anything like it: emotionally intelligent, experience-led training for real-world dementia care.” — Michele Jogee
It’s Time to Rethink What ‘Good Care’ Means
If we want dementia care that is safer, kinder, and more sustainable, we need to train carers not just in routines, but in relationships.
Dementia carer burnout is preventable. Emotional intelligence is not an optional extra. It’s the foundation of care that works.
Ready to learn more?
Explore our free Dementia Compass training and discover how emotional intelligence can transform your approach to dementia care.
Learn more about our Dementia Care Services and see how we put these principles into practice.