During the early stages of dementia, many will receive care in their own home from their partner, husband, wife, son, or daughter. However, as the dementia progresses, the person’s needs can become increasingly challenging for someone without experience to provide the care and support required, which can include medical care. Caring for a loved one diagnosed with dementia at home can be hugely challenging and stressful without the right support.
To enable them to live well with dementia, the best option may be to get someone in with the experience and qualifications who is able to provide the necessary care and support they need as their condition progresses into the later stages.
People with dementia can be cared for in their own home. Arranging home care allows your loved one to remain in familiar surroundings, something that is known to be beneficial to people living with dementia as it helps with orientation and brings comfort.
Having a carer visit your home will also enable you to keep living together as opposed to having your loved one move into a care home.
Care at home for someone with dementia can be provided through several shorter visits each week all the way up to several visits per day and 24-hour live-in care should it be required.
There are ways to make your loved one’s life easier at home on your own, such as making your home more dementia friendly. Click here for more information.
How can home care help people with dementia?
The aim of dementia home care is first and foremost to look after their needs and manage the symptoms of dementia, but also to enable individuals to enjoy an active, happy and fulfilling life in familiar surroundings and close to friends and family.
Many home care agencies have carers trained in dementia care, meaning they have the expertise, experience and qualifications necessary to provide the care and support someone with Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia requires, including complex care.
A major part of why it can be so challenging to care for a loved one on your own is that dementia as a condition can be unpredictable. Everything from changes in behaviour to knowing how to respond in certain situations is difficult without the right experience and knowledge.
If a person with, for example, Alzheimer’s wishes to remain at home, they may eventually need specialist dementia care depending on the severity of their symptoms, particularly in the later stages.
With the support of a professional care team, you can rest assured your loved one’s needs are properly looked after.
What dementia home care involves:
- Holistic, person-centred care
- Providing necessary medical care and specialist dementia care
- Helping the person with dementia to remain safe and reassure loved ones
- Supporting the person to stay as independent as possible
- Helping the person to keep their routines to reduce confusion
- Ensuring a healthy diet, fulfilling nutritional needs to minimise behavioural symptoms and weight loss
- Companionship and creating opportunities for social interaction and stimulating activities
- Taking the pressure off family members, allowing them to take a break
- Helping with personal care, such as dressing, washing and administering medication
- Assistance with household tasks, such as cleaning
- Assistance getting to and from appointments and trips out
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.
24-hour dementia care at home
Dementia affects people differently and each person will experience it in their own unique way. However, eventually, your loved one may need 24-hour care from a professional due to the severity of their condition.
Although it is costly, if your loved one has previously expressed that they would prefer to remain at home, live-in dementia care is an option. In some cases, the person with dementia will be living alone, making it paramount that they have someone to look after them around the clock for their safety.
Your loved one will then receive bespoke, one-to-one full-time care and support around the clock from a specially trained carer. The carer will move into your home to provide whatever support is necessary 24-hours a day.
The care will be completely tailored to your loved one’s needs, routines and preferences. Additionally, most home care agencies will be carefully selected to match your loved one’s needs, interests and preferences.
Importantly, the carer should ideally be someone that you, as the family member/relative, also gets along with and respects your privacy, routines and house rules.
Click here for tips and advice on how to choose the right live-in care.
Paying for care
A dementia diagnosis does not automatically mean your local authority will help fund the care service you require.
People with dementia are often assessed as having social care needs rather than nursing and medical care needs, which means they do not qualify for schemes such as NHS continuing healthcare where the NHS organises and pays your care in full.
Caring for someone with dementia can be overwhelming and it is vital that you contact your local authority for a Needs Assessment as soon as possible. They will be able to recommend the types of care your loved one could benefit from.
They will also conduct a financial assessment to establish whether they will contribute towards any costs.
You can find more information on how paying for care works by following the link below:
To see what benefits you may be entitled to, visit:
What benefits can I claim while receiving home care?
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