Care at home for people living with Dementia
Those living with dementia, as well as their families, face a variety of challenges every day. It can be confusing and frightening for the affected person when they are experiencing cognitive and memory issues, while family and friends need to stay vigilant, caring and attentive. It is common for dementia to occur alongside other health issues, each of these which can necessitate professional intervention. Often, loved ones and family members who are reliant upon for support do not have the time or resources to provide continues dementia care and support at home. That’s why is so important to choose the correct type and level of support for those living with Dementia.
What is dementia?
Dementia is a neurological degenerative disease which affects the cognitive functioning of an individual. To put it simply, it degrades the brain cells of an individual leading to memory loss starting with short term memory leading to long term memory. This can then affect their ability to perform daily tasks in the long term as they may forget how to do so.
There is currently no cure for dementia but there are many ways to help treat it such as through the aid of domiciliary care-that’s where we come in. Our staff are fully competent in ensuring your loved one maintains their daily routine whilst still staying independent at home. The familiarity of your loved one’s home will also be beneficial by encouraging them to remember parts of their daily routine.
What is dementia care?
Dementia care ensures that your loved one is not limited by their dementia and can perform all the daily tasks they would usually do with the help of our carers. Dementia support can be provided in a variety of forms and lengths of visits such as hourly visits, overnight care or live-in care, that will depend of the specific requirements the service user have. We work to encourage your loved one in remembering tasks and the amount of help required from our clients largely depends on the stage of dementia they’re at. This then increases their autonomy as they have the independence of staying at home whilst receiving help from us when needed.
We understand that the process of care for those living with dementia can be distressing especially for family members or friends which is why we work closely with you to ensure all of your loved one’s needs are attended to by our carers. We make sure to match our carers to your loved one specifically to make sure they receive all the care appropriate for them. Our carers can help your loved one with a number of tasks such as:
- Giving medications
- Personal care if needed
- Hobbies
- Household duties- such as cleaning and cooking
- Taking care of pets
- If your loved one needs help with mobility such as getting out of bed
Taking care of your loved one
As dementia symptoms are progressive, you may notice how your loved one may begin to forget more and more over time. This is just a part of the process and to help your loved one, cognitive activities can be done. This can be things such as encouraging your loved one to remember certain memories, looking through photo albums, recalling family members and so on. This then serves as a great way to engage your loved one in an interactive way which would be beneficial for them.
It is also important to ensure they still maintain the same routines and are not limited by their dementia and as their symptoms progress, they may require more and more help with these routines which may involve the help of a carer. Our carers make sure they have all of their needs met from taking care of medications to more recreational activities such as hobbies.
It is important for your loved one to maintain hobbies they enjoy, even if it means they may require more help with doing so, for example playing sudoku. This then allows them to still engage in cognitive activities and increase their quality of life by carrying out the hobbies they usually would.
At Medistaff24, we firmly believe that individuals living with dementia shouldn’t be limited by their condition which is why we encourage cognitive activities to our clients. If you need advice or are searching for help for your loved one, please get in touch with us by filling in our Medistaff24 ”Book a Home Visit” form or call us on 01386 765 102 for free and friendly advice.
Types of support available for people living with Dementia
Although some people believe you should never let a stranger care for a member of your family, this attitude is slowly fading away. The perception of caters is changing as their services improve, along with society’s perceptions.
Nursing homes and traditional residential care are not the only options available for providing care and support to those living with dementia and their loved ones.
There is also the option of live-in care at home, which is becoming increasingly popular among the people living with Dementia.
Dementia care at home can include social support. Being able to maintain interests and enjoyments for as long as possible gives the person with dementia a much better quality of life. You can enjoy peace of mind knowing that care is available round the clock.
Living-in care offers people with dementia the ability to live independently and comfortably at home while receiving the support they need from a professional live-in carer . Adapted to the needs of the individual person, it can assist them in maintaining a good quality of life and reduce the symptoms of dementia.
How to Arrange Dementia Care for Your Loved One
Step 1 – Get in touch with us
Contact us or call 01386 765 102 to discuss your loved one’s difficulties and elderly care requirements.
Step 2 – Arrange a free care assessment
We’ll come to your loved one’s home to discuss and assess their care needs.
Step 3 – Care starts
Your loved one will be cared for by one of our professional carers to support them to live independently at home.
