How can home care help people with dementia?

Home care services can provide personal assistance to people living at home who have dementia. This can be additional assistance like helping them bathe, cook, clean, shop, pay bills, and manage medications. Plus, it will include much-needed companionship and emotional support for the vulnerable individual.

In addition to meeting their basic requirements and treating dementia symptoms, dementia home care aims to give patients the opportunity to live an active, happy, and satisfying life in their own homes, near to their loved ones.

Many home care firms use caregivers who have received training in dementia care. Which means they possess the knowledge, skills, and credentials essential to offer complex care.

The unpredictable nature of dementia is a big factor in why caring for a loved one alone may be so difficult. It’s challenging to modify behaviour and know how to react in specific situations without the benefit of experience. 

Home care workers are trained to respond appropriately to each situation as it arises. They’re able to work closely with family members and other professionals to make sure everyone involved knows what to do and when.

 

If you think you or a loved one might be experiencing symptoms of dementia, contact a doctor for advice. You may want to consider hiring a home care provider to help you out while finding a diagnosis of dementia.

Once a person with dementia has received a diagnosis, it is essential that they get appropriate post-diagnostic care throughout the course of their life. It needs to happen immediately following a diagnosis.

The person with dementia and their close family and carers should be able to talk things over with relevant services and professionals.

 

Depending on the severity of the individuals symptoms, a person with Alzheimer’s disease who wants to live at home may eventually require specialised dementia care.

You can be sure that a loved one’s needs are properly met with the help of a skilled care staff.

Home Care Benefits for Dementia

Many people who are in the early stages of dementia will receive care from their spouse, or relative in their own home. We all acknowledge that caring for people with dementia can be daunting and challenging. And we applaud all caregivers (trained or not) for taking on the challenge during this upsetting time.

Ask a dementia adviser or social services about local groups or contact online groups to find a source of support. If you can’t get out or if you need someone to talk to when no one else is around, these sources are great for advice and support.

However, if dementia worsens, the individual’s needs could become more difficult for a family caregiver without experience, which may include providing much-needed medical care.

Without the proper help, caring for a loved one who has been diagnosed with dementia at home may be extremely difficult and stressful.

The best course of action may be to hire care professionals with the experience and credentials who can give them the care and assistance they require.

This is known as Respite Care. It gives family members a much-needed break. The live-in care companies will create a package to suit your relative’s exact needs. You might find that the cost of live-in care in the UK works out cheaper than a care home facility.

Home Care Benefits for Dementia

Specialist dementia care is practical and beneficial for those living with dementia. It provides targeted assistance in the form of:

Daily activities and therapies such as reminiscence therapy,

Dietary adjustments,

And support for challenging behaviour and sundowning.

Physical activity,

There are many different care options available if you need specialist dementia care or support. It is especially designed to help the individual live independently in their own home.

Dementia Care at Home

Carers provide 24/7 live-in care to ensure that loved ones are safe at all times. They can offer assistance with personal care, including bathing, dressing, grooming, eating, medication management, continence care, toileting, mobility, and transfers. Carers can also help with other aspects of daily living, such as shopping, cooking, cleaning, laundry, transport, entertainment, socialising, and general health and wellbeing.

Live-in Care provides a range of services to help seniors stay independent at home. Live-in Carers provide personal assistance, medication management, housekeeping, meal preparation, transportation, and companionship. Their goal is to give their clients peace of mind while providing them with the freedom to enjoy life.

As their type of dementia advances into its final stages, having care at home is a great way to help reduce memory loss and keep them comfortable. This is because they are familiar with their surroundings and their everyday tasks.

Home care is a real alternative to care homes. Especially if the client wants to remain at home. Or if relatives think it would cause too much stress to move into a care home.

Arranging home care enables your loved one to stay in comfortable, familiar settings. This is advantageous for those with dementia as it aids in orientation and provides solace.

Establishing Dementia Home Care

If you are affected by dementia, seeking support from the social care system can be daunting. 

People with dementia may need support and assistance at home to help them maintain as much independence and live fulfilling lives as possible. Now, this might be from a dementia specialist or a team of specialists, depending on the care agency and level of care needed for independent living.

Because there are many types of dementia, the key aspect of providing dementia support is recognising the levels of care needed and then responding appropriately.

Finding Good Care

The care industry takes the care for individuals living with dementia very seriously. This is why there are strict rules in place and training is required. Care delivery needs to be exceptional and care planning needs to be tailored to the individual to maintain their independent lives.

Care agencies should therefore offer the unique training programme accredited by City & Guilds for their care professionals. It specialises in dementia care in the home environment.

It helps caregivers to provide the best quality of care possible using different strategies, to support the person living in the home.

24-hour dementia care at home

The effects dementia has on the body are often small to start with, but they can soon become severe enough to affect daily life.

A professional carer will visit you every day, seven days a week, or move into their home to provide around-the-clock care. The carer will check on their well-being, assist with any changes in routine, and make sure that they have everything needed. This approach to dementia care is a brilliant alternative care solution to care homes.

Care Assistants will:

Check that they're sleeping comfortably

Help them get dressed and undressed

Provide emotional support

Monitor safety

Keep an eye on medications

Take note of any changes in behaviour

Be on alert for signs of distress

Make sure they eat regularly

Maintain hygiene

Help with social interactions

Assist with basic activities like making meals, doing the dishes, and taking baths

Manage medical appointments

Guarantee there is access to emergency contact information

Home care for dementia entails:

Home care is highly flexible, and you can have someone visit for as little or as much as your loved one needs. During the early stages, your loved one may only need a few visits per week which you can arrange to become more frequent as and when needed.

This is why more families are turning to home care rather than residential care. A personalised care plan can make a life with dementia easier for their loved ones. They get to stay in the place they know and love instead of nursing homes.

Person-centred, holistic care.

Supporting the dementia sufferer to maintain their safety and reassuring family members.

Assisting the individual to maintain routines will help to reduce confusion.

Providing possibilities for social engagement and engaging activities together

Assistance with personal care tasks like dressing, bathing, and giving medication

Assistance with domestic duties like cleaning

Delivering essential medical treatment and expert dementia care.

Supporting the individual to maintain as much independence as is possible.

Providing a nutritious diet, meeting nutritional needs to reduce behavioural symptoms

Easing the burden on family members so they can relax and take a break

Assistance with transportation to and from appointments and outings

Paying for Dementia Home Care

Even if you have been diagnosed with dementia, your local government may not automatically contribute to the cost of care you need.

You may find that people with dementia disqualifies them from programmes like NHS continuing healthcare where the NHS arranges and fully funds your care.

It can be quite stressful. But it’s critical that you get in touch with your local government to request a needs assessment. They will be able to suggest the kinds of care from which your loved one might benefit, and determine whether they will shoulder any expenditures. This is done via a financial assessment.

Paying for Dementia Home Care

First signs of dementia:

Memory loss that affects day-to-day abilities.

Difficulty performing familiar tasks.

Problems with language.

Disorientation to time and place.

Impaired judgement.

Problems with abstract thinking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Dementia patients can receive care at home from a loved one or a trained care provider. Getting professional home care for a loved one with dementia is a great alternative to a care home.

The goal of dementia home care is to support the patient in handling daily tasks. While providing required medical care, and improving their quality of life so that they can stay as independent and comfortable as possible. This can range from supporting the person with getting dressed in the morning to guaranteeing their safety by controlling challenging behaviour.

Depending on the stage and severity of their condition, some dementia patients require care and supervision 24 hours a day. If they prefer to stay in their current residence rather than move into a residential facility, live-in 24-hour dementia care is an alternative.

  • Care agencies may specialise in providing care for people who have Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, traumatic brain injury, or other neurological disorders.
  • Home care agencies have care teams of complex care givers such as nurses, therapists, aides, and social workers.
  • Some agencies also offer respite care, where family members take turns caring for the patient during the day.

Please note: Access to reliable form of transportation and the ability to work some weekends are requirements for this role.