Educational organisation The Power of Touch (TPOT) has launched a free digital programme aimed at deepening understanding and awareness for spa and wellness professionals around dementia.

Founded by Michelle Hammond – who also started the Spa Business School – TPOT was originally created to help the spa and wellness industry welcome and treat people touched by cancer. Its scope has now broadened to encompass educating wellness professionals about other critical and chronic health conditions, in order to make wellness treatments accessible to all.

Designed with therapists and spa managers in mind, the course involves a breakdown of dementia, how and why it happens, the most common and current clinical treatments for dementia and any side effects and implications of such interventions and some of the evidence-based complementary practises and experiences that have been proven to minimise the risk of dementia and enable people to live better with it.

The programme is part of a series devised by Hammond in response to lockdown restricting TPOT’s in-person training. To continue TPOT's mission she has been launching micro-courses focused on a different health condition each week, recent topics have focused on clients with cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

Hammond told Spa Business: “The primary aim of these micro-courses is to shine a light on these conditions and boost confidence in therapists and clients by creating deeper awareness.

“I want our students to feel empowered and to feel more comfortable to both have a confident conversation with a client about any presenting health condition, and to feel more able to personalise the treatment to the unique needs of the individual.

“As professionals, I believe it’s critical we understand what the most prevalent health conditions impacting our clients and communities are, and just as importantly, what we can do within our world of wellness – integrated alongside our incredible NHS – to support clients to both prevent getting such diseases and to live better and more comfortably with them if they do,” said Hammond.

The online programme is a shortened version of TPOT’s in-person course specialising in dementia, which includes elements on spa design for those living with dementia and delves deeper into spa journey protocols and treatment procedures than the micro-course.

To access the micro-course, click here.