Care home managers are being offered to help reduce staff sickness related to stress due to complex demands of the country’s growing number of elderly patients.

Tracy Gough, a registered nurse, life coach and author from Stoke on Trent has raised fresh concerns surrounding the mental well-being of care home staff who look after the elderly and has launched a new information guide called ‘The Wellbeing and Support Guide for Care Staff.’

The concerns follow the publication of her book, My Dementia Journey, which addresses the day-to-day emotional and physical challenges experienced by caregivers looking after their loved ones at home.

According to research by the Alzheimer’s Research UK, there are more than 800,000 people in the UK with dementia and approximately 311,730 of these are living in care homes.

Ms Gough said: “With more and more care home residents suffering with dementia there are widespread concerns about the impact of this situation on the well-being of care home staff.

“Many employees in the care sector are finding that the complex nature of dementia residents is regularly causing them to feel more stressed, anxious and exhausted. Often care staff will work 12-hour shifts and this can leave them both physically and mentally drained at the end of their working day.

The guide aims to provide care home managers with relevant tools to help them deliver additional support to staff and will contain information on staff wellbeing, mindset, coping strategies and advice for managers.