Dementia Care at Home

With the right care and support, a person living with dementia can be as independent as possible. It can enable them to live happily and securely in their own home, in familiar surroundings, surrounded by people they know.

Yes. We understand how difficult it can be caring for someone living with dementia but we have years of experience in helping families cope with the situation at home. Our City & Guilds Assured dementia training programme means our Care Professionals are trained to care for all sorts of people living with dementia.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, followed by Vascular dementia and then Lewy body dementia.

• Difficulties with problem solving
• Memory impairment
• Memory lapses
• Struggle to find words
• Difficulty processing information
• Difficulty making sense of what is seen
• Recognising people and places
• Changes in mood and behaviour

Today, more than 850,000 people in the UK are living with dementia, including over 520,000 with Alzheimer’s disease. Not everybody knows that the two terms are far from  interchangeable. Dementia is not a disease, but it is caused by a range of diseases affecting the brain, including Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s is a disease, and is the most common cause of dementia.

When someone is diagnosed with dementia, it is often assumed that keeping their beloved pet is impossible. This is not necessarily the case. Studies have shown that pets have actually been known to increase the health of those with dementia while providing them with a friend to spend their time with. Owning a cute and cuddly companion can even be an essential part of their daily routine. Before jumping to any conclusions, it may be beneficial to review all of your options when it comes to this important decision.

An unexpected diagnosis can be frightening or difficult, and some might discover that they want their pet to remain by their side. After considering the following factors, you may find that there are other alternatives to immediately giving up a best friend.

For people living with dementia and Alzheimer’s, lack of stimulation and boredom can be one of the most frustrating things. It’s important to provide activities that engage and bring pleasure to people living with Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Stimulating activities can help keep them in high spirits and prevent them from developing depression, whilst lessening anxiety and irritability.

Activities should aim to:

• Stir memories and allow them to reminisce about their life
• Foster emotional connections with others – contact with others is vital
• Encourage self-expression
• Make them feel more engaged with life
• Help them feel productive

If you have a relative with dementia – perhaps you are their carer – you may be aware that at some point you might find yourself dealing with aggressive behaviour from them. This is a prospect that many people fear, but there are ways to cope with such challenging behaviours.

The early stages of dementia are not always obvious, and symptoms and problems might develop slowly. To add to these difficulties, early signs of Alzheimer’s and dementia are frequently easy to dismiss as a normal sign of ageing. However, if you know what to look out for, you can keep an eye on yourself and your loved ones and identify symptoms early. This will allow you to get the medical advice early on and work out care ahead of time.

For a person with dementia, Christmas poses challenges that include disruption to a routine, confusing changes to décor and the layout of a home, and the pressure to be social over extended periods of time. When somebody’s memory or cognitive skills are deteriorating, they will find these tasks especially difficult; it is important that they are catered for in the most sensitive ways possible.

By looking at each potential challenge in turn, we have suggested some ways to manage these difficulties and have a successful Christmas without causing your loved one with dementia distress or exacerbating their confusion.