Memory loss conditions require 24-hour care and specialised treatment plans, something that only dementia care homes can offer to patients. Dementia care homes enable patients to live as independently as possible with their current condition. However, choosing the right care home is crucial for the future of a dementia patient. It is also essential to learn about the different types of care homes so you can make an informed decision. Let’s find out what dementia care homes are, the top options in the UK, and how to choose the best one for a patient.
Dementia Care Homes & Their Features
Care homes for the elderly and chronic patients are quite common in the UK. However, these care homes are not equipped to deal with conditions like dementia. As a result, dedicated care homes are needed to care for the patients of dementia.
Dementia care homes are facilities that make the lives of those living with dementia easier by utilising different physical and psychological techniques. The most common features of dementia care homes include:
- 24/7 care for each person with dementia
- Friendly activities to boost the mental health of the patients
- Familiar environment and people
- Signage to help patients find their way easily
- Counselling to help patients come to terms with their condition
- Memory exercises to avoid further memory loss as much as possible
The features reveal how a dementia care facility is different from a care home for the elderly. Dementia care homes assist residents at every step of the way and help them live the best lives they can with their current condition.
Top Dementia Care Homes in the UK
The National Health Services revealed that currently, 944,000 people in the UK have dementia. Every one in eleven people over the age of 65 have dementia. Due to the growing number of dementia patients in the country, the need for good care homes is at an all-time high. The following are considered the top dementia care homes in the UK, but you should still do your research before making a decision.
- Appleby House in Surrey
- Foxbridge House in Orpington, London
- Harton Grange in Tyne and Wear
- Hassingham House in Norfolk
- Glastonbury Court in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Don’t see your location mentioned above? No need to worry. ESGO offers dementia care home services across multiple locations in the UK. You can find dementia care homes in different parts of the UK through our website or app within minutes. ESGO simplifies the process for people so they can focus on the more important task of choosing a care home and helping their loved one adjust to their new life.
How to Choose the Right Care Home for Dementia Patients?
Despite the advancements in pharmaceutics, there’s currently no cure for dementia and Alzheimer’s. However, studies have revealed that psychosocial interventions tailored to a patient’s particular needs can be effective in managing the symptoms of dementia. As a result, getting your loved one settled in a care home for dementia patients is one of the best things you can do for them. However, it is important to choose the right dementia facility if you want your loved one to get the best care possible. Here are the steps that can help you accomplish that goal:
Needs of Your Loved Ones
Every dementia patient’s needs are unique depending on the progression of their condition and their personality and preferences. Before you decide on a dementia care facility, you should make a list of the needs of your loved one. No one can know a person with dementia better than their friends and family, which is why this should be a combined effort. Even if the dementia patient is not fully capable of understanding their situation, getting them involved in the decision-making process will help them feel valued.
Your Budget
After you have compiled a list of requirements that a dementia care home needs to fulfill to accommodate your loved one, you should focus on the budget. When it comes to dementia care home costs, there will be multiple options for you to choose from. However, knowing your budget in advance can help you more when looking for the right dementia care facility.
Making a List of Care Homes
At this point, you can start searching for dementia care homes that fall under your budget. You can search the web to find care homes in your area and visit them to see the facilities. If you are satisfied with the environment of a care facility, you can add its name to the list you are creating. Once you have a few names on the list, you can move on to the next step.
Dedicated Dementia Care
There are two main types of care homes in the UK, residential care homes and nursing care homes. Where residential care homes provide a place of comfort for the elderly, nursing homes also provide medical support to people with chronic illnesses or injuries. A dedicated dementia care facility must have qualified staff on the team to care for people with memory issues professionally. You can visit the care homes on your list and ask them about their carers, how many of them have been trained in dementia care, and what qualifications they hold.
Final Inspection & Checking Reviews
You can ask the residents and their families about their opinion on the care facility or you can check online reviews to see what people are saying about it. Some other things to look for in a dementia care home are accessibility, lighting, and a sensory garden. It is also crucial for dementia care homes to have bedrooms that can be easily personalised for each resident. A familiar environment is a must-have for dementia patients and it can be created if the bedroom is upgradable. If a care home ticks all the right boxes, then you can go ahead and finalise the move for your loved one.
Benefits of Living in a Care Home for Dementia Patients
Family members of dementia patients often have a hard time asking for help. Many try to take care of their loved ones living with dementia themselves. Even if they have the chance to send their loved ones to the best dementia care home in UK, they will still hesitate. However, studies have revealed that dedicated dementia care can improve the quality of life for patients. Here are the primary benefits of living in a dementia care facility for patients of dementia and Alzheimer’s:
24/7 Dedicated Support
No matter what you do, you cannot be with your loved one around the clock. So, if they require help urgently when they are by themselves, they will end up feeling agitated. However, in dementia care homes, patients can get dedicated support 24/7 so they won’t have to wait for someone to come and help them. Having support available around the clock will also help people with dementia feel calm and secure.
Preventing Memory Decline
Memory loss is one of the most painful aspects of dementia, both for the patients and their loved ones. However, the progression of memory loss can be slowed down by making lifestyle changes for the patients. Various memory care nursing homes in the UK specialise in preventing further memory decline in dementia patients. They adopt various techniques including improved diet, exercises, and memory games, to stop the cognitive decline in dementia patients.
Improving Quality of Life Through Special Activities
Once a person gets diagnosed with dementia, their quality of life drops significantly. It is impossible to live normally with dementia, however, the worst can be avoided for a long time. Improving the quality of life of patients with dementia involves arranging activities for them that they will enjoy. For people craving social interactions, regular gatherings of the residents can be arranged. For others, more introverted activities like gardening and pottery will be more fit.
Facilitating Independence
Being able to maintain some sort of independence can greatly impact the mood of dementia patients. Independence and self-reliance can also improve the life expectancy of people struggling with dementia by protecting their cognitive ability. Although live-in dementia care is also useful in facilitating independence, it cannot offer other facilities needed by a patient. For instance, care homes have rails to help dementia patients move around freely but making such upgrades to a residential property is not always possible.
Understanding the Costs of Dementia Care Homes in the UK
The costs for dementia care are catastrophic in every part of the world and the UK is no different. The total cost spent on dementia care every year in the UK is £42 billion per year with patients and their families shouldering 63% of it.
For one dementia patient, the cost of living in a care home can cost £35,000 per year on average. However, the location, choice of the care home, and the severity of the patient’s condition can affect the total cost. Doing your research on the costs of dementia care homes in the UK in advance will help you pick the option that best suits your budget.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dementia Care Homes
Do dementia patients have to pay care home fees?
Dementia patients can be eligible for financial assistance from the government based on the severity of their condition. The process begins with getting a new assessment from social services. After the assessment, you will be told whether or not a care home is necessary for caring for the dementia patient. If a care home is necessary, you can apply for a financial assessment. The assessment will reveal whether the council will pay for the care home or not. In most cases, patients have to cover a percentage of the care home fees themselves.
Are there care homes for aggressive dementia patients UK?
In some cases, the person with dementia can get aggressive and be a danger to themselves and those around them. In such a situation, only professional caretakers can jump in to rectify the situation. There are several dementia care homes in the UK specialising in taking care of aggressive patients and you can find out their locations through ESGO.
When should someone with dementia go into a care home?
As the condition of a dementia patient worsens, it will become difficult for their family to take care of them at home. So, if you notice that your loved one has started struggling with basic tasks, it is time to look for a care home. You can search for ‘dementia care near me’ online to find a facility nearby. That would give you the chance to visit your loved one regularly.
How to get an elderly person into a care home?
An elderly person who cannot wash themselves or eat on their own will live a better life in a care home. However, convincing them to make the move can be challenging. Including them in the process of choosing a care home can help ease their mind. You can also explain the facilities that will be available to them in a care home to help them make the decision.
How do nursing homes keep dementia patients in bed at night?
Dementia patients can easily be disturbed or startled by noises or changes in temperature. By regulating temperature and the lights in bedrooms, nursing homes make dementia patients feel comfortable at night so they don’t leave their beds. Nursing homes also make sure there are no sounds to disturb the sleep of the patients at night by eliminating sources of noise.
How to get a dementia patient into a nursing home?
Dementia patients find comfort in familiarity and hate changing their surroundings, which is why convincing them to move to a nursing home can be difficult. Creating a familiar environment for dementia patients away from home is one of the best ways to get them to move to a nursing home. You can also set up their bedroom in the nursing home in advance and then take them for a visit to show them how similar it is to their current room.
What are signs that dementia is getting worse?
The symptoms of dementia keep getting worse over time, however, there are obvious signs that reveal the progression of the condition. The speech of the person living with dementia will become shorter and stop making sense. Dementia patients will also stop eating much and have difficulty swallowing as their condition worsens. Other signs of dementia getting worse include loss of control over the bladder and difficulty comprehending what is being said.
How to deal with a dementia patient refusing to go into care UK?
Dementia patients can get more stubborn and irritated over time because of the decline in their cognitive ability. Getting them to go into care can be challenging, however, it can be accomplished by taking the right measures. You can get them to talk to other dementia patients currently residing in care homes and learn firsthand account of the environment. You can also explain to them the downside of living at home with their current condition. Eventually, they will come around when they realise how difficult it can be for them and their caregiver if they continue to live at home.
Do dementia patients get free care home?
Dementia patients can get financial aid from the Social Services Council. However, the amount of aid will depend on various factors and in most cases will not be enough to cover the expenses of a care home. Dementia patients and their families often have to take care of the majority of the cost by themselves.
What is the most common cause of death in dementia patients?
As the symptoms of dementia worsen, it becomes exceedingly difficult for the patient to walk, talk, and swallow their food properly. As swallowing becomes difficult, food ends up going down the windpipe instead of the food pipe, causing aspiration pneumonia. It is one of the most common causes of death in dementia patients. Other common causes of death in dementia patients include severe urinary tract infections, common viral infections, and falls. You can find a life expectancy care home dementia UK to help prolong the life of your loved one. Such care homes take great care to prevent the diseases that could lead to the demise of dementia patients.
When can a person with dementia no longer live alone?
When dementia gets worse to the point where the patient can no longer move on their own, they can no longer live alone. If the patient cannot feed themselves or go to the loo on their own, it will become unsafe for them to live alone and they should be moved to a care home immediately.
