Dementia Awareness Week is upon us, but awareness itself is still lacking; it’s estimated that around 400,000 people in the UK suffer from the condition without even realising it.
The Alzheimer’s Society are trying to increase awareness in order to help people recognise the early signs in themselves and family members.
It can be an upsetting diagnosis for the person as well as their relatives, but understanding the illness can help manage expectations.
Symptoms of the condition can include:
- Memory loss
- Changes in mood
- Problems with communication
If you spot these signs in someone you love, it’s always best to seek advice from a medical professional.
Life After a Diagnosis
Many people living with dementia are able to remain in their own home and with extra help and support may never need to move on from independent living.
For some, a care home specialising in looking after those with dementia is a better option. It’s a difficult decision to make and with so much to consider, it can be an extremely daunting task.
It’s hard to spot which care homes meet the individual needs of your loved one, for example, each one will claim to offer ‘excellent care’. It’s important to recognise the buzzwords and separate the genuine positives from meaningless claims.
Barchester Care Homes have created a really thorough guide to help give you ideas about what to look for when you’re trying to make a choice about residential care. It’s very important to make sure the home is properly equipped to care for somebody suffering from dementia, as they will have different needs to the other residents.
The guide recommends questions for you to ask, such as, “have the staff had specialist dementia training?” and “are you confident that at least one member of staff will take it upon themselves to get to know you and your family?”. Building a relationship with the caring team is essential for peace of mind.
When looking for how the team approach the dementia care, it is always a good idea to check that they use a person centred approach. Every resident is an individual and should be treated as such.
Another important question to ask is “are the staff trained to use a range of interventions to help reduce distress?”. Suffering from dementia can be distressing and disorientating, a good care home will help minimise this aspect of the illness.
The best way to get a ‘feel’ for the home is to spend some time there. Speak to the staff, check that they have time for you, and offer a friendly approach to residents. Have a look around at the residents and see if they look happy, or whether someone is taking time to calm them if not. Be armed with the questions you want to ask and if you need ideas about the ‘right’ sort of questions, download this free guide.
For further information about the condition visit the Alzheimer’s Society website.
My great nan has dementia, she was such an independent and strong woman and to see her suffering with this illness, is very upsetting. She is currently living on her own, with carers coming to check on her 3 times a day and family regularly popping in to see her. Some days she is better than others, so we just take it one day at a time.
x
My Nan has dementia and she’s been in a care home for 10 years! It was very hard to find the right one and this check list would have really helped us at the time. It’s such a good thing to spread awareness and not put signs of the illness down to ‘old age’.
It’s wonderful your Great Nan has remained relatively independent 🙂
My Nana has Alzheimer’s and now she doesn’t remember who I am or my family members are. It is so hard when I go to Ireland to see her, and I am always trying to hold back the tears as she can’t really do anything for herself anymore. She stays at home most of the time with my Aunts looking after her with carers and then she goes into a home for a week every now and then so that they can have a break. It is so hard for everyone, a really horrible disease!
My Nan has no clue what’s going on now. It’s her 97th birthday on Sunday so I’ve crocheted her a cushion cover with her name on it for her to be comfy with in the home. She doesn’t really need or appreciate anything but I don’t like to let it pass without a present. It’s really upsetting, I know how you feel.