Everything you need to know about Dementia Care in a Residential Care Home

There are so many things to consider when making the decision to move to a Care Home particularly when you or your loved one needs Dementia Care.

We provide dementia care in Stoke on Trent and we know from experience that making the move isn’t an easy decision. That’s why we wanted to answer some of the more common questions that we get asked and that we know might be turning over in your mind.

When is the best time for someone with Dementia to move into a Care Home?

There are so many factors, both emotional and practical, that will affect when it is exactly the right time for you or your loved one to move into a care Home.

The first thing to consider is the safety and wellbeing of the person with dementia. Are they currently safe living at home or have there been signs that it is getting harder to keep them safe?

Are their care needs being met at home? Is it still possible to meet their full care needs? Within this question is also a second very important question – is it still possible for the person providing primary care to continue for the foreseeable future?

When making this big decision it’s important to consider the needs of both parties, since a struggling, exhausted or unhappy carer may not be able to provide the care needed by their loved one. Struggling to provide care can bring up feelings of guilt, and when considering a move to a care home, carers often worry that they haven’t done enough or fear they have given up too soon. We often find though, that once the move has been made it can be really beneficial for both the person suffering from dementia and their carer.

From a practical perspective, the first step in making the decision should be to get a new needs assessment from social services. If they decide that a care home is the best option for you, you will also be able to take a financial assessment to determine whether the council will pay towards your care home costs.

You can apply for a needs assessment by social services on GOV.UK.

What kind of Care Home do you need for Dementia Care?

The kind of Care Home you should be looking for will depend on the level of care you need. Residential Care Homes and Nursing Homes provide two different levels of care.

Residential Care homes cater for mild or early stage dementia. We provide dementia care at our residential care homes in Stoke-on-Trent, and this means that we create a safe, sociable and comfortable environment for our residents with dementia where they receive 24 hour care. We have visits from a community nurse, but we don’t have the capacity to supply full-time nursing care.

A Nursing Home will cater for more advanced dementia or residents with more complex care needs and they have qualified nurses who work in the Home to provide 24 hour medical care.

What specific support does a Residential Care Home offer people with Dementia?

All residential care homes offering dementia care should provide support with washing, dressing, taking medicines and going to the toilet. They should also be set up to ensure the safety of dementia patients, with keycode door locks and a secure garden (if there is one). We believe this is the bare minimum and just the starting point for dementia care.

At our three care homes in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Bradeley and Bucknall, in addition to providing for the specific care needs of our residents, we also work hard to support their mental wellbeing and nutritional needs.

We have found that our residents with dementia often need a little more support when it comes to nutrition and meal times and we’re always on hand to make sure that they are eating well and, most importantly, enjoying their food.

We also know that care home activities, events and entertainment are vital to our residents’ overall wellbeing, whatever their care needs. Being engaged, interested and sociable are some of the really positive aspects of living in a residential care home and our staff work together to make sure that there is a real range of activities and social occasions to keep our residents busy!

How to choose a Care Home for Dementia Care near you

The first step in choosing a care home is to create a short list of care homes providing dementia care in your area. You can use carehome.co.uk to help you with this – you will be able to see all the reviews, facilities information, photos, videos, home details and more here. Once you have your short list, it’s time to arrange some visits.

It can be hard to tell if a care home is exactly the right place for you or your loved one from these visits, and it may really help to arrange to move into the home for a few weeks respite care to help you make your final decision.

We provide respite care for dementia residents in Staffordshire. Just contact us to find out more.

A final word on moving into a Care Home for Dementia Care

We understand what a big decision a move to a care home can be and we have many years’ experience in helping to make your move as easy and anxiety-free as possible.

We request very detailed information about all our new residents so that we can learn as much as possible about their care needs and likes and dislikes before they arrive. We also make sure that they meet with our staff and start to develop a bond before the day they move in, and that the same staff member is available to meet them and help them settle in on the big day.

We know that like any new relationship, we will need to get to know our new residents and we need to give them time to get to know us, settle in and find their own individual way of enjoying life in their new home.