London Business Awards
Excellence in Training
Finalist — open, reflective dementia training that teams can use in real visits.
6
Modules
Team+
Trained
Free
Access
Free training · HP Homecare
Dementia Compass
Practical, reflective modules for anyone supporting people living with dementia — built from real visits, not generic slides.
- Free access — no paywall
- Six modules — start anywhere
- Optional sign-in for progress & CPD
Recognition
Award finalist for dementia care innovation
Dementia Care Awards2026: finalist, Outstanding Contribution to Dementia. Also shortlisted at the London Business Awards2025 for excellence in training.
2025
Dementia Care Awards
Outstanding contribution to dementia care
Finalist — The Outstanding Contribution to Dementia Award
National programme honouring impact, innovation, and outcomes for people affected by dementia and those who care for them.
Dementia Care Awards · Care Talk — celebrating teams and individuals across the sector.
Our approach
Why we made this free
We built Dementia Compass for our own carers first. When it changed how they showed up on visits, opening it up — at no cost — felt like the right thing to do.
Built for our team
Internal training for HP Homecare staff — the same material we use for real rosters and handovers.
Shared openly
Good dementia support shouldn't depend on budgets or postcode. The same modules are open to families and other providers.
No licence wall
Family carers, micro providers, and large organisations get the same access — no per-seat pricing.
“Dementia Compass started as training for our own carers and nurses. We needed something practical that reflected real situations our team faces every day. After seeing how much it helped our staff understand and respond to dementia, we realised it could help others too—family carers, other care organisations, anyone supporting someone with dementia.”
— HP Homecare
Beyond checking boxes
Innovation, not just compliance
While many providers stop at compliance, we invested in something purpose-built. Dementia Compass is our bet that higher standards in dementia care start with how we prepare people — family and professional — before they walk through the door.
It is evidence-led and free by design: better care begins with better preparation. We did not build it to tick a box — we built it because the people we serve deserve training that respects the complexity of dementia.
Drawn from decades of hands-on work, it helps carers interpret what they see, respond with steadiness, and protect dignity in everyday moments.
Experience-led
25+ years
In-home and complex care, feeding the modules
Recognised
Award finalist
Dementia Care Awards & training excellence
Open access
Free to use
Raise capability across the sector
What you'll learn
Six interactive modules
Each unit stands alone — dip in for one skill or work through the set. Everything is written for visits and living rooms, not just classrooms.
“I wish I'd had this when I first cared for Mum — it would have saved so much confusion and stress.”
— Family carer
Interactive Dementia 101
Build essential knowledge about dementia types, stages, and how it affects cognitive functions.
Open moduleSensory Shift Empathy Module
Experience the sensory and cognitive changes that can occur with dementia to foster deeper empathy.
Open moduleCommunication Builder
Practice effective communication techniques through interactive scenarios and guidance.
Open moduleUnderstanding Behaviour Guide
Learn to recognise that behaviour is communication and develop compassionate responses.
Open modulePerson-Centred Care Basics
Discover how to provide care that respects individuality and promotes well-being.
Open moduleSafety & Environment Guide
Learn practical strategies for creating a safe, supportive environment for those living with dementia.
Open module
NEW: Professional Development Features
Track Your Learning Journey
Whether you're a family member, healthcare professional, or care organisation - create your personal account to track progress, save certificates, and unlock advanced features.
Registration is free and optional—start learning immediately without signing up
👨👩👧👦
Family & Friends
Track progress, save resources
👩⚕️
Healthcare Professionals
CPD hours + certificates
🏢
Care Organisations
Team management tools
Looking for training tailored to your organisation type?
Always free to start
Ready to try one module?
You do not need an account to begin. Create one later if you want progress tracking or certificates.
How we teach
More than training — a shift in perspective
We stepped away from passive e-learning. Dementia Compass is built to deepen empathy — to help you feel, briefly, how overwhelming dementia can be, so your responses stay human and steady.
Immersive learning
Short exercises help you notice confusion, noise, and overload — so you recognise distress earlier in real life.
Empathy first
Clinical grounding meets lived experience — bridging protocols with the emotional skill visits actually need.
Purpose beyond audits
Useful for regulators — built for people. Confidence grows when training honours both rulebooks and relationships.
A New Philosophy of Care
What makes this innovative isn't just the format; it's the philosophy. Dementia Compass proves that emotionally intelligent care can be taught, that reflective learning can fit into the rhythm of daily work, and that training can be both clinically grounded and deeply human.
Rather than treating training as a compliance task, Dementia Compass reframes it as a core component of care quality — enabling carers to build emotional insight alongside clinical competence. We believe this kind of reflective, human-centred training should sit at the heart of dementia support, and Dementia Compass is our contribution toward raising that standard.
What sets us apart is the way we integrate learning into the entire care journey. Training is not an isolated phase, it's embedded in our culture, systems, and everyday operations.
Excellence in Implementation
While compliance requires basic training, we've created a comprehensive learning ecosystem that continuously evolves with best practice. Our approach demonstrates how training can be transformed from a regulatory checkbox into a cornerstone of exceptional care delivery.
- ✓
Beyond Agency Standards: We maintain an exclusively employed team, each receiving intensive, ongoing professional development that far exceeds industry minimums.
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Real-Time Learning Integration: Our innovative digital microlearning platform delivers contextual, situation-specific guidance through secure communication channels, ensuring knowledge translates immediately into practice.
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Continuous Professional Growth: From initial certification through advanced specialisation, our learning framework ensures every team member evolves with emerging best practices.
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Measurable Outcomes: Regular competency assessments and client feedback demonstrate how our training approach directly improves care quality and satisfaction.
Training excellence that translates into exceptional care outcomes.
In Memory of Mr and Mrs H
Mr and Mrs H were more than clients; they were family. Over twelve years of supporting them, we gained invaluable lessons in compassion, patience, and empathy.
Dementia Compass is dedicated to their memory, sharing our hardest-earned insights to help others.
"Their unique journey through dementia taught us lessons no textbook ever could. Mr and Mrs H shaped not only how we provide care, but why we provide it with such dedication."
— Michele, Head of Homecare & Registered Nurse
A Testament to Our Care
"HP Homecare provided home-based care for both my parents over a period of 12 years (autumn 2013 to spring 2025) when my mother passed away. The standard of care provided by HP Homecare was excellent and allowed both my parents to stay at home in their familiar surroundings until the end of their lives, with my mother actually passing away at home."
"Michele established and maintained a core team of dedicated and very professional carers covering both night and day. Providing the continuity of care and routine that is so important to the quality of life of older people. From October 2020 I lived next door to my mother, so I was able to witness first hand the care she was receiving on a daily basis, I was very impressed by the kindness, dedication and professionalism of the care team. Latterly Michele herself played an important role liaising with GPs and district nurses on a professional level to ensure my mother received the medical help she needed."
"My whole experience with HP Homecare was excellent and Michele was very good at providing me care updates on my parents in addition to the HP Homecare office team providing monthly rotas, so my mother knew who exactly would be coming to provide care and when."
— Dr. Philip W Howard
Community Feedback
See what carers, family members, and professionals are saying about Dementia Compass.
Recent Reviews
Sarah T
2 July 2025
★★★★★
Really helpful resource. Dad has dementia and I was struggling with his evening agitation. The communication module helped me understand why he gets so frustrated and gave me practical techniques to try. Made a real difference to both of us. The interactive exercises really helped it stick.
Care Worker, Hertfordshire
28 June 2025
★★★★☆
Good practical training that I did before starting with a new client. Nice that it's not just theory - the sensory exercises help you experience what it might feel like. Found the behaviour module particularly useful for understanding triggers. Would recommend to other carers.
Jenny M
15 June 2025
★★★★☆
Used this before starting my new job in dementia care. Made me feel much more prepared than I expected. The safety module is brilliant - covers things I hadn't even thought about. Took me about 2 hours to go through everything properly. Really good foundation.
Share Your Experience
Sharing What We've Learned
Over the years, we've learned valuable lessons about dementia care. We believe these insights should be shared, not kept to ourselves.
Dementia Compass started as notes and reminders for our own team—simple ways to remember what works and what doesn't when caring for people with dementia.
When other carers and families began asking for copies, we realised these resources might be helpful beyond our own team. Making them freely available seemed like the right thing to do.
We're always learning from others in the care community, and we hope sharing our experience can be part of that ongoing conversation about better care.
📝 Practical Experience 🤝 Community Sharing 💭 Ongoing Learning
Real Impact: Professional User Experience
See how experienced care professionals are using Dementia Compass to enhance their practice and professional development.
MO
Melissa O.
Senior Care Professional
Experienced carer with extensive dementia care background
"The training modules provide exactly what busy care professionals need - good clear, succinct pieces of information that you can actually use in practice. The easily comprehensible soundbites mean you can quickly refresh your knowledge between clients, and the simple straightforward testing gives you confidence that you've absorbed the key points."
✨ Key Benefits
- Effective simulated symptoms - New insights even for experienced staff
- Concise modules - Perfect for busy schedules and quick refreshers
- Immediate practical application - Knowledge transfers directly to care
🏆 Professional Development
- CPD certification - Formal recognition for portfolios
- Enhanced mentoring ability - Better support for new staff
- Increased confidence - In complex care situations
"Having formal recognition for completing this training adds real value to my professional development. The CPD certification means I can include this in my portfolio, and the feedback process helps improve the training for future users."
Join healthcare professionals who are enhancing their practice with evidence-based dementia training.
Start Your Professional Development JourneyAdvanced Practice: Registered Mental Health Nurse
Discover how qualified nurses are using Dementia Compass to enhance their specialised practice and address real-world challenges in dementia care.
LD
RN Lauraine D.
Registered Mental Health Nurse (RMN)
15+ years specialising in elderly care and dementia
Current Client Challenge
Providing home-based care for a client with significant short-term memory impairment, requiring specialised communication strategies and person-centred approaches.
"This is an excellent piece of resource which I found is very useful in my career as an RMN and having also spent most of my 15 years working with elderly care in dementia. This training has given me full understanding of how to respond to her short term memory issue especially in the area of communication which can be very challenging."
Communication Strategies Applied
Techniques Implemented:
- Using short, clear sentences
- Offering simple, binary choices
- Allowing adequate response time
Observable Outcomes:
- Reduced communication frustration
- Improved client engagement
- Enhanced care relationship
Person-Centred Care Implementation
Promoting Independence: Enabling the client to maintain control over daily routines while providing necessary support
Facilitating Decision-Making: Creating opportunities for meaningful choices within the client's cognitive capacity
Encouraging Participation: Involving the client in planning and maintaining their preferred daily structure
"Person centred care aspects of the training where promoting independence, enabling decision-making, encouraging participation is very important in terms of the client being able control of their usual routine."
"I am therefore looking forward to doing more courses such as this one." — RN Lauraine D.
🎓 Advanced Practice Benefits
- Evidence-based techniques applicable to complex memory impairments
- Structured approach to challenging communication scenarios
- Enhanced confidence in specialised dementia care delivery
⚕️ Clinical Application
- Real-world application with immediate client benefits
- Professional development aligned with 15+ years experience
- Continuing education interest for ongoing skill enhancement
Discover how qualified healthcare professionals are enhancing their specialised practice with evidence-based dementia training.
Explore Person-Centred Care ModuleSenior Nurse Review: Professional Module Assessment
Feedback from experienced healthcare professionals who have completed comprehensive reviews of our educational modules.
HH
Herman H.
Senior Nurse
Experienced healthcare professional - comprehensive module evaluation
Professional Clinical Review
Experienced senior nurse evaluation of all 6 interactive training modules for comprehensive coverage of dementia care education.
"I have read the 6 different modules, and they provide excellent information regarding dementia care... a great tool for training staff."
Clinical Professional Assessment
Comprehensive Coverage: All 6 modules assessed by experienced senior nurse
Excellent Information Quality: Professional validation of clinical content accuracy
Staff Training Value: Recognised as effective tool for team development
Senior Nurse Evaluation
- Clinical expertise validation of comprehensive dementia care content
- Professional healthcare perspective on training effectiveness
- Experienced nurse endorsement for team training applications
"A great tool for training staff" - Senior nurse professional assessment confirming training module effectiveness for healthcare team development and dementia care education.
Discover how experienced healthcare professionals are validating our comprehensive module system for staff development and dementia care education.
Begin Professional Module ReviewProfessional Standards Alignment
Dementia Compass meets national training standards and evidence-based guidelines, ensuring comprehensive, regulator-ready education for healthcare professionals.
✅ DTSF Compliant (All 6 Subjects) ✅ NICE NG97 Aligned ✅ MCA 2005 Integrated
View Detailed Standards MappingWhat Dementia Compass Offers
Free training resources for anyone who wants to better understand and support people living with dementia
Training Content
- 6 interactive modules covering understanding dementia, communication, behaviour, safety, personal care, and family support
- Practical, real-world scenarios based on actual care situations
- Designed for family carers, healthcare professionals, and care organisations
- Completely free—no registration required to start learning
Quality Standards
- Self-paced learning—complete modules at your own speed
- Optional certificates and CPD hours for professionals
- Accessible on any device—mobile, tablet, or desktop
- No barriers—start learning immediately, registration optional
Training Details
6
Training Modules
Free
No Cost Access
2hrs
CPD Hours
80%
Pass Mark
Training Tailored to Your Organisation
Whether you're a care home, domiciliary care company, hospital, or NHS Trust, we have dedicated information pages explaining how Dementia Compass can support your staff training needs.
Care Homes
Residential care homes looking to meet CQC requirements and improve staff training.
Learn MoreDomiciliary Care
Home care companies supporting mobile teams with flexible, accessible training.
Learn MoreHospitals
Hospitals and healthcare facilities supporting clinical teams with evidence-based training.
Learn MoreNHS Trusts
NHS Trusts and Foundation Hospitals implementing trust-wide training programmes.
Learn More
100% Free - No Licensing Fees, No Per-User Costs
Ready to Get Started?
All organisations can register their team for free. No costs, no hidden fees, no barriers. Click on your organisation type above to learn more, or register directly below.