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Our dementia care is award-winning and here we share some tips on how best to support people who are living with dementia.

We have received many awards and recognition for our outstanding care, including the 2021 Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Hero Awards for Professional Excellence. However, we will never rest on our laurels and will always look to adapt, develop and challenge ourselves to provide exceptional care every day.

 

With almost forty per cent of our residents living with dementia, we support every individual and their relatives after they have received their diagnosis in our care.

 

This is an emotional and incredibly tough time for both the resident and their loved ones. However, it is very possible to live well with dementia and we see it every day in our Homes.

 

Your GP or specialist consultant will signpost additional support, therapies and medical interventions, but here are some ideas on a more personal, day-to-day level to help.

Our dementia care tips

Communicating

Stand or sit at a person’s eye level, smile, be relaxed and friendly

Try to use open body language, don’t have your arms crossed or hands on hips

Use familiar, sentimental prompts, such as photographs, to help your conversation

Listen to music or sing together

All behaviour is communication so look at their body language and how they are expressing themselves physically, as well as listening to them

Empathising

Explore the language of dementia: a person asking for their mother may actually be indicating that they need comforting

Chat to them about home. This can provide an insight into what they may need to comfort them

If someone asks for a deceased loved one, ask about them, rather than explaining that they are dead

Calming

Try using distraction techniques such as music to take their mind off a stressful situation

Use a soft, calming voice and avoid raising it

Check for triggers, such as stressful environments or noises

Offer them soft materials and different textures to touch, which can be soothing

Eating

Invite them to help you prepare meals

Stimulate their senses by looking at photos of food or recipes

Mirroring: eat with them so they can copy your actions

Check that the plate and the food are different colours and easily defined

Try tempting them with a selection of finger foods rather than a large meal

Everyone’s experience is different

Everyone’s experience of dementia is unique but it may help you to think about the journey ahead. Imagine this journey as your loved one gradually crossing a bridge, it is important to understand that you can accompany them, but they cannot come back to your side of the bridge.

 

It will help you to enter into their reality, taking things at their pace, empathising and being patient, calm and good-humoured, however hard it is. Join them in their moment and acknowledge that things may be confusing. It takes time and emotional intelligence to bring your loved one back to feeling secure again, especially if they have just had a diagnosis. teacup

You may start to see differences in their behaviour – our staff often do with the residents they know so well. Memory loss is a symptom and you may notice that early memories remain, while more recent ones slip away.

 

This isn’t the only consideration: your loved one may lose interest in something they previously cared about, become repetitive, behave uncharacteristically or experience mood swings. They may also begin to struggle with everyday processes such as getting dressed or making a cuppa. Sleeping and eating can be affected. All these factors can make them stressed and defensive.

Read more on how to make everyday life more comfortable for those living with dementia.

Full blog here