With dementia care, it’s good to stay in the place you know best

We know how difficult it can be to live with dementia. That’s why we’ve developed our specialised Dementia Care through a nationwide team of Care Experts. 

How’s it work? Two ways mainly.

One, we focus on managing your loved one’s symptoms while providing them with emotional support, and two, we make sure they stay in the place they know best – their home. 

Sadly, the more advanced someone’s dementia becomes, the more it shrinks their world, making life outside the home quite daunting for them. That’s why it’s so important that your loved one keeps to their routines and stays in the surroundings they know and love. 

Because that way they can continue enjoying the moments that mean the most to them. 

What is Dementia?

Dementia isn’t one thing. It’s actually a term for a range of symptoms and conditions that affect the everyday functioning of the brain and memory. 

Basically, the brain is made up of billions of neurons, or nerve cells. These nerve cells communicate with each other through chemical signals. Dementia causes these nerve cells to deteriorate, which makes it harder for the brain to function as usual.

At first, the effects on the body are quite minimal. But over time the symptoms become progressively worse. How fast this happens depends on the particular disease causing the dementia and the parts of the brain affected.

Dementia Care at Bluebird Care

We don’t think dementia should stop your loved one from living the life they want. Which is why we’ve designed our Dementia Care in the way we have.

First off, we’ll work with you to create a routine that gives your loved one as much independence as possible. Maybe they have trouble getting started in the morning so they want someone to whip them up a warm breakfast. Or maybe they’re too stressed to sleep, so they want someone in the next room, ensuring they’re safe throughout the night. 

Whatever it is, we’ll create a specialised care plan that suits your loved one’s lifestyle and needs. 

Once the care plan is in place, it’s time for our Care Experts to take over. Experienced and empathetic, our Care Experts are highly-trained care assistants who can visit your loved one in their own home, providing the vital support they need. And helping them maintain the quality of life they’re used to.  

A sample of our services

When it comes to Dementia Care, we can help your loved one in different ways, such as: 

• Managing their symptoms by ensuring they take their medication
• Helping them wash and get dressed, so they’re ready for the day
• Changing their catheter and making sure everything is clean
• Helping them exercise so they can get fit and feel better
• Looking after their diet so it’s more fresh foods and less junk
• Lending a hand with everyday household chores (tidy house, tidy mind!)
• Offering much-needed companionship at home and a dependable plus-one for outside social events

Alzheimer’s disease

One of the most common types of dementia is Alzheimer’s. In fact, according to the Alzheimer’s Society, more than 52,000 people in the UK have dementia caused by Alzheimer’s. The vast majority of them over 65.

Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease, which means that the symptoms gradually worsen over time. There’s currently no cure, though the symptoms can be managed with personalised care and support.

Symptoms to look out for

Wondering whether your loved one has Alzheimer’s? The symptoms can vary from person to person, and are often quite mild to start with. For most, the first signs of Alzheimer’s involve minor issues with their memory, such as forgetting the names of people they know or of everyday objects.

As the condition progresses, further symptoms can develop, including: 

• Issues with speech and language
• Problems with movement
• Difficulty planning or making decisions
• Personality changes
• Loss of confidence
• Depression and anxiety
• Hallucinations

The more their symptoms worsen, the more challenging and stressful it is to care for them. But with the right support, you can ensure their needs are met.

Healthy at home

If someone in your family is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, there’s a good chance they’ll need extra support to handle their day-to-day. This doesn’t mean they need to move into a care home though. Far from it. 

Because rather than have people with Alzheimer’s move out of their home to receive support, we believe it’s much better to have them remain at home – and bring the support to them 

That way your loved one can stay in a place where everything is familiar, and where they’re most likely to have the greatest sense of wellbeing. 

What does our Alzheimer’s Care look like?

In our view, the best Alzheimer’s Care is Home Care.

We have a lot of different ways in which we support people with Alzheimer’s, all of which enable them to live as independently as possible. And all of which involve personalised, one-to-one care in their own home. 

With the help of compassionate Care Experts, we’ll support all aspects of your loved one’s life. From their physical and behavioural needs, to their more emotional ones. We’ll create scrapbooks to help your loved one stimulate memories, and give them everything they need to help them to manage their symptoms.

All so that we can improve their quality of life, while giving you real peace of mind.  

How it all starts

The first thing we’ll do is arrange a visit with your loved one so that we can get to know them. Then we’ll create a unique support plan that matches their needs. Alzheimer’s affects everyone differently, so it’s important that the care they receive is designed to meet the individual challenges they face. 

While getting to know your loved one, we’ll also get to know you. And we’ll better understand how you like to communicate with your loved one and how often and the different ways you’d like our Alzheimer’s Care to help.

Not only will this give us greater insight into how we can support your loved one, but it will help to establish an open line of communication between all of us, and ensure that everyone’s kept in the loop in terms of the care your loved one is receiving, and the progress they’re making.

Getting in touch

If you’re caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia and feel like you could use some support, give us a call and see how we can help.