What are the different options for dementia care?

What are the different care options available for a dementia patient? Of course there are various things to consider such as costs for provision of care, does the dementia patient lives at home alone, what family or friends live close by who are connected to their care and also what type of dementia the patient has.

Some dementia diseases are more progressive than others, and some sadly involve more disturbing behaviours from hallucinations, wandering and sundowning. Things will need to be considered such as the level of risk that the patient poses to themselves. Are they are risk of going for a walk in the middle of the night or do they have aggressive outbursts at certain times? 

Don’t be alarmed by what you have just read, these can be extreme behaviours from patients and are not necessarily a permanent fixture. Often there are root causes to aggression or sundowning episodes and calming methods can help to reduce the impact of these behaviours. It is also important to remember that as the disease is progressive, it can be some years before any of the above behaviours appear, if they even do. Some of these behaviours are seen in patients with certain a particular dementia disease and are not necessarily a common symptom of dementia. However, it is good to be aware of what might happen, so that you are prepared in terms of selecting the right care for the dementia patient. While they may wish to remain in their home, simply leaving them on their own can be dangerous to the patient’s health, so it is important to encourage them to accept help. We cover off how to encourage them to accept care here. 

Care options

There are various options available for care, from livein, remain at home options to full time care home. One thing to consider with moving home to a new area to be closer to family, for example, is that dementia patients find it difficult to adjust and make new friends. Plus the stress and upheaval of moving can weigh on dementia patient’s wellbeing. Some suggest that it facilitates dementia progression, although there is no evidence to support this. We cover off moving to a new area and how to support a dementia patient here. 

Living at home care

Living at home care may also be referred to as supported living. The dementia patient is supported with a carer who either visits them at set times on a daily basis; remains with them throughout the day, putting them to bed and leaving; or remains within the home as a live in carer. There are many providers across the UK who can provide this sort of care and it works well for the patient because they are able to remain in a familiar environment, which is their own home. Care homes can work well for patients, but they can be noisy environments, which can contribute to anxious episodes. 

Living at home care for dementia might not be appropriate if the patient has very specific medical care needs. 

Care providers will be rated by the CQC in England or the Care inspectorate Wales, or the Care inspectorate Scotland. You will be able to search for care providers to see how they have been ranked and to understand how they are rated in terms of the safety for the patient. If the provider you have found is not listed or registered with one of these bodies, you have no way of knowing how safe their services are for the dementia patient. This is important to know as they are responsible for the dementia patient’s care when you are not around.  

Sheltered housing

Again this housing option means that the dementia patient can maintain a level of independent living. Sheltered houses have a warden available, usually works 24 hours. 

Each property will be fitted with an alarm that the inhabitant can use to call for help should they require it. Some sheltered housing providers are built on a site next to a dementia care home, so that the dementia patient can move into the dementia facility, should they need to. Local councils are tending to build sheltered housing which are connected to dementia facilities, so that should a patient require access to the dementia care providers, they can have it and move into the facility if deemed appropriate towards the later stages of dementia. 

Care home

Dementia patients move into a care home, which provides 24 care support, should they require it. Care home costs vary from £950 per week at the lower end, to thousands of pounds a week, so it is not the cheapest option. This is why it is often the last resort selected by families and due of the low income funding thresholds, many patients are self funded. Some patients struggle to adjust to the environment and as they are in the later dementia stages, they are most likely having difficulties with communication or being able to look after themselves properly. It can be noisy for the patient too, particularly if they have come from their home and whilst dementia patients often cite being lonely, they do find it more challenging to make friends in a new area, particularly if they are struggling with communication. Speak to the care facility about how they help to settle patients in and also try to reassure your loved one about the move into a care home. We cover off how to talk to someone about moving into a care home here.