Alzheimers and Dementia Care Homes

Care Homes and Nursing Homes for the elderly very often welcome residents with dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease. Whether the person with dementia needs a residential care home or a nursing care home will depend on their level of dementia as well as any other illnesses or disabilities.

A residential care home will provide help with day to day living tasks such as washing, dressing, eating and getting to the toilet.  A nursing home provides a higher level of nursing care, but both types of care home may have staff who are specially trained in providing care to people with dementia.  Asking for a Care Needs Assessment from Social Services (available to everyone whether they receive social care funding or not) will help establish which type of care environment would be suitable.

There are many care homes now which offer care exclusively to people with dementia, or have separate facilities for dementia care.  These can often be purpose built units and are run by staff who have in-depth knowledge and training of caring and communicating with people in all stages of Alzheimer’s and dementia.  The facilities are secure and safe and may include dementia friendly signage or street paths to allow people to walk without coming to an end of a corridor or an obstruction.  Very often, memory boxes and other reminiscing activities are used to provide stimulation or comfort.

The ethos of person centred care and respect for the individual should be evident in all care homes providing dementia care alongside competent, specially-trained staff, ensuring that each resident receives unique, dignified care irrespective of the illness.

Dementia can sometimes affect younger people, and there are care homes which can offer care specifically for adults with early onset of dementia.  These homes are less common than dementia care homes for the elderly, but younger people may have different needs and require some different support, so it is important to ensure you find the home that is right for your specific situation.
 

Mark Sadler