Security staff at an Ipswich mall have undergone special training to make shopping less stressful for people living with dementia.

Sailmakers Shopping Centre is now ‘dementia-friendly’ thanks to sessions organised by the Alzheimer’s Society and delivered by Andrea Pittock, of Suffolk Community Foundation.

Ms Pittock said: “If we can all just do a little bit and have some awareness about how we can support and understand dementia it can make such a difference.

“It helps those living with dementia if we can be more patient and take a little bit more time to support people because dementia is more prevalent than we realise.”

Senior security officer James Griffin, from Ipswich, took the course and he said it had given him a greater understanding of how to help people who may suffer from the illness.

Mike Sorhaindo, manager of Sailmakers, said: “Across society we are seeing an increasing incidence of dementia as the population ages and it’s important that we are prepared for that and are able to help people enjoy a visit to the shops in a caring and sensitive way.”