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What are the Benefits for Dementia Patients of Being in Care Homes?
Considering the care needs of a loved one with dementia is a complex and sometimes overwhelming task. Should you try to care for your loved one at home so that things remain the same, either by yourself or with carers? Or should you support them to move into a dementia care home?
Here we help by explaining the benefits of dementia care homes, how to find dementia care homes near me, and answer the most common questions people in your situation ask.
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Benefits of Using Dementia Care Homes for Dementia Sufferers
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- 24/7 staff: With a dementia care home, care staff are there, 24/7, 365 days a year. You don’t have to settle for a compromise, only caring for a loved one in the available hours you have. What’s more, it’s not your responsibility to organise the care. No rotas to juggle, holidays to cover, employer responsibilities or carer sickness to worry about.
- Experience and expertise: Staff in care homes for dementia are trained and experienced. Caring for an individual with dementia requires insight, knowledge and caring skill. For example, our dementia care home staff are knowledgeable, for example knowing about sundowning, reminiscence therapy and creating valuable social experiences, such as music therapy.
- Social activities: Isolation is a very problematic issue with the elderly. This is particularly notable with those with dementia. It can lead to loneliness, which the NHS has revealed is as detrimental to your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Tailored social activities are par for the course in care homes for dementia.
- Stimulation: Dementia care homes provide the stimulation those with different stages of dementia need to remain happy, engaged and as independent as possible.
- Facilities: The individual’s private home will be limited in terms of facilities for the elderly person with dementia. It is possible to introduce some changes, such as rails or ramps, but it is difficult to compete with the planned layout and facilities of a dedicated dementia care home. That’s not to say that care homes won’t feel like home. Care with furnishings, décor and personal items, ensures a home-from-home feel with the safety and security of a professional care environment.
- Catering: In dementia care homes, all catering needs are taken care of. Trained staff can assist with specific eating and drinking requirements, such as reminders to eat, encouragement, or specialist diets for dysphagia. At Eastleigh, our residents love our food. Check out a sample menu.
- Finances: There is no escaping that elder care can be expensive. However, on an hour-by-hour basis, residential dementia care is significantly cheaper and better value for money. All living costs and care costs are part of one overall payment and in administrative terms, finances are much easier too.
Benefits of Using a Dementia Care Home for Loved Ones
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Peace of Mind
There’s always the worry of your loved one at home wandering, falling, forgetting to eat or drink, managing their personal care, or even falling victim to scams. In dementia care homes, you get peace of mind, knowing they are safe, even when you can’t be there.
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Location
If a family member with dementia remains at home, they will be living in a property chosen and suitable for them at a previous life stage, which is often unsuitable for their needs today. Care homes for dementia patients also benefit from regular community service visits, covering things like district nursing, chiropody and hairdressing. Often, loved ones search for ‘dementia care homes near me’ so that their loved one can be nearby for visiting more regularly.
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Your Relationship
One of the biggest benefits of using care homes for dementia sufferers to provide a loved one’s care is that it allows your relationship to go back onto a more fulfilling level. Without being responsible for care provision anymore, your visits go back to being as they should be – focused on social and familial care. Any resentment and stress created by the caring role will ease.
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Support for You
In the best dementia care homes, the staff recognise that close loved ones need support too. Our experience and knowledge, as well as very real presence, helps to lighten your burden and alleviate some of the stress that this experience can bring.
FAQs About Dementia Care Homes and Dementia Care
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How to find dementia care homes near me
How do you choose between different care homes for dementia residents?
Do you get free home care with dementia?
Do care homes take dementia patients?
What is the average time in a care home with dementia patients?
Simply use a Google search and enter ‘dementia care homes near me’ to find your nearest dementia
care homes. In North Devon and Somerset, we have care homes in South Molton and Minehead.
We recommend choosing specialist dementia care over regular residential care. You can check out the CQC report for different homes on their website. Then, visit the homes to find those which feel best to you.
You may be eligible for some support with care costs, depending on the financial means of the individual with dementia. The NHS will carry out a Care Needs Assessment. You can then request a financial assessment. If eligible, you will receive funding for some or all of your loved one’s care needs, whether these are best met at home or in a dementia care home.
Residential care homes usually accept individuals with dementia. However, dementia care homes are specifically designed to meet the needs of individuals with dementia. They offer specialised services and staff. When considering a residential care home for a person with dementia, it’s important to assess the home’s expertise and experience in dementia care.
The average length of stay for individuals with dementia in care homes in England can vary depending on various factors, such as stage and progression of dementia, individual needs and preferences, and available familial support and care. Dementia care home stays range from a few weeks for carer respite, or post-hospital recovery, through to many years.
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A dementia care home near me in Devon and Somerset
The benefits for dementia patients in care homes are wide reaching, for both the individual with dementia and the family. It can help to come and see the benefits in person. Come and see the difference a dementia care home can make by giving us a call on 01769 573166.