The Complete Guide to Dementia Care at Home

If someone you love is living with dementia, you may be wondering whether they can continue living safely and happily at home.

For many people, they can.

With the right dementia care at home, your loved one can get the support they need while staying somewhere they know and love. Their own bed. Their favourite chair. The garden they’ve spent years looking after. Familiar faces and familiar routines.

At Bluebird Care Bromsgrove & Redditch, we provide dementia care built around the person receiving it. That could mean a little help with everyday routines, regular companionship or more ongoing support through live-in care.

Here’s what dementia care at home can look like and what you may want to think about when choosing care for someone you love.

What is dementia care at home?

Dementia care at home supports someone living with dementia without asking them to leave the place they know best.

Everyone experiences dementia differently. Some people may need a little help with everyday activities. Others may need regular support throughout the day.

Care at home can include:

• Help with washing, dressing and personal care

• Preparing meals

• Medication support or reminders

• Help with everyday routines

• Companionship

• Support getting around safely

• Shopping and help around the home

• Support attending appointments

• Help to continue hobbies and activities

• Respite care

• Overnight or live-in care

Most importantly, care should never feel like a list of jobs to get through.

It should help your loved one continue doing as much as they can for themselves, while having someone by their side when they need a helping hand.

Can someone with dementia continue living at home?

Yes. Many people living with dementia can continue to live at home with the right support.

How much help someone needs will depend on their circumstances and how dementia affects their everyday life.

Someone may start by needing help with shopping or meals. As things change, they might need more support with medication, personal care or moving safely around their home.

That’s why it’s helpful to regularly look at how things are going and whether a little more support could make everyday life easier.

Why can staying at home help someone with dementia?

Home means more than four walls.

It’s where someone has built their routines and memories. It might be where they raised their children, spent time with friends or enjoyed Sunday lunch around the same table for years.

For someone experiencing memory loss, that familiarity can be reassuring.

Instead of learning their way around somewhere new, they can wake up in their own bedroom, have breakfast in their usual spot and spend the afternoon doing something they enjoy.

Dementia care at home is about protecting as much of that everyday life as possible.

What are the benefits of dementia care at home?

Staying independent

A dementia diagnosis doesn’t mean someone has to stop doing everything for themselves.

Your loved one may still enjoy choosing their clothes, helping to prepare lunch, watering the plants or setting the table.

A care professional can be there to help when needed while giving them the time and space to continue doing the things they can.

Care built around the individual

No two people experience dementia in exactly the same way.

One person may need companionship and medication reminders. Someone else may need more help with personal care, meals and getting around their home.

Care should fit around the person rather than asking the person to fit around the care.

Keeping familiar routines

A familiar routine can be reassuring for someone experiencing memory problems.

That could mean getting up at the same time each morning, having lunch in their favourite chair or taking an afternoon walk.

Good home care works with these routines wherever possible.

Companionship

A friendly face and a good conversation can mean a lot.

A care professional can spend time talking, sharing memories, listening to music, going for a walk or enjoying hobbies with your loved one.

It’s about spending time together, not simply completing everyday tasks.

Giving families support too

Looking after someone you love can take a lot of time and energy.

Having professional support means you don’t have to do everything alone.

It can also give you more opportunities to simply be their husband, wife, son, daughter, sibling or friend again.

What can a care professional help with?

The answer depends on what your loved one needs.

Personal care

Washing, dressing and using the bathroom may become harder as dementia develops.

A care professional can provide respectful support while helping your loved one remain involved in their own routine wherever they can.

Meals and drinks

Someone living with dementia may forget to eat or drink, or find preparing meals more difficult than before.

Support can include preparing meals, helping someone eat regularly and sharing a little company around the table.

Medication

Remembering when to take medication can become difficult.

Where it's part of the agreed care plan, a care professional can provide the right level of medication support.

Help around the home

Everyday jobs can become harder too.

Having some help around the house can keep things familiar and comfortable while taking some of the pressure away.

Hobbies and companionship

Life shouldn’t become all about dementia.

If your mum loves gardening, your dad enjoys old films or your partner never misses their favourite music programme, those things still matter.

A care professional can help your loved one continue enjoying the interests and routines that make them feel like themselves.

Making home safer for someone with dementia

Dementia can change how someone understands their surroundings, so it’s worth regularly checking whether their home still works well for them.

You might consider:

• Improving lighting

• Removing things someone could trip over

• Keeping everyday items where they're easy to find

• Adding handrails where helpful

• Using clear signs or labels

• Checking smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

• Looking at kitchen safety

• Making the bathroom easier to use

• Keeping familiar spaces tidy and easy to move around

An occupational therapist may also be able to look at your loved one's home and recommend changes or equipment that could help.

Creating a familiar daily routine

Regular routines can make everyday life feel more manageable.

Try to keep familiar patterns around getting up, meals, medication, hobbies, rest and bedtime.

But remember that it's your loved one's life.

If they've always enjoyed a lie-in on Sunday, gardening after breakfast or listening to music while they eat, there's no reason those things should disappear simply because they're receiving care.

Talking with someone who has dementia

Dementia can change the way someone communicates, which can sometimes be difficult for them and the people around them.

A few simple changes can help:

• Speak clearly

• Ask one question at a time

• Give them time to answer

• Reduce background noise where you can

• Offer a couple of simple choices

• Pay attention to facial expressions and body language

• Try not to correct every small mistake

And keep talking to the person, not about them.

Their thoughts, choices and feelings still matter.

When might someone need professional dementia care?

There's no set moment when someone suddenly needs home care.

Instead, you may notice small changes.

Perhaps Mum has started missing meals. Dad is forgetting his medication. Your partner is finding getting dressed harder. Or you're spending more and more of your own time providing care and starting to find it difficult.

Other signs can include:

• More confusion than usual

• Difficulty keeping the home safe

• Problems getting around

• Falls or near-falls

• Spending more time alone

• Difficulty with everyday household jobs

• Changes in behaviour

Getting professional help doesn't mean handing everything over.

Care can start with a few visits and change over time as your loved one's needs change.

What is respite dementia care?

Sometimes family carers need a break.

You might have an appointment, want to spend time with other family members or simply need a few hours to yourself.

Respite care means a care professional can spend time with your loved one while you take that break.

It can be arranged for a few hours, on a regular basis or for a longer period, depending on what works for your family.

When might live-in dementia care help?

As dementia develops, someone may need more support than regular care visits can provide.

Live-in care means a care professional lives in the person's home and is there to provide a greater level of day-to-day support.

It may be worth considering if your loved one:

• Needs regular help throughout the day

• Is finding living alone more difficult

• Needs reassurance overnight

• Needs help keeping regular meals and routines

• Would benefit from having someone around more often

• Wants to stay at home rather than move into residential care

Bluebird Care Bromsgrove & Redditch offers both visiting home care and live-in care, so the support someone receives can change with them.

Dementia care at home or a care home?

There isn't one answer that's right for every family.

Home care allows someone to stay in familiar surroundings while receiving the help they need.

A care home provides care and accommodation in a residential setting and may be right for some people.

Think about your loved one's wishes, the support they need and whether their home remains a suitable place for them to live.

Most importantly, involve them in those conversations wherever possible.

Getting a care needs assessment

If you think someone you love needs more help, you can ask your local council's adult social care team for a care needs assessment.

The assessment looks at everyday areas where someone may need support.

You can also talk to healthcare professionals and care providers about what you've noticed and what help may be available.

Looking after family carers

When you're caring for someone you love, it's easy to put your own needs at the bottom of the list.

But you need support too.

That could mean sharing care with other family members, arranging respite or home care, joining a local dementia support group or talking to a healthcare professional.

You don't have to wait until caring becomes too much before asking for help.

Dementia care at home in Bromsgrove & Redditch

At Bluebird Care Bromsgrove & Redditch, we help people living with dementia continue life at home, surrounded by the people, possessions and routines they know.

Your loved one may only need a little support. They may need regular daily visits. Or they may need the reassurance that comes with live-in care.

We'll listen to what matters to them and to you, then put together care that works around their needs and everyday life.

And as things change, their care can change too.

Why choose Bluebird Care Bromsgrove & Redditch?

We believe the person always comes before their dementia.

That's why we take the time to get to know your loved one.

What makes them laugh? What do they like for breakfast? Which programmes do they never miss? How do they like to spend their afternoons?

Those little details matter.

Our care professionals can help with personal care, meals, medication, companionship and everyday routines, while supporting your loved one to do as much as they can for themselves.

Because dementia may change parts of someone's life.

It doesn't change who they are.

Finding the right dementia care at home

A dementia diagnosis can bring uncertainty for the whole family.

But it doesn't automatically mean your loved one has to leave their home.

With the right support, they may be able to continue waking up in their own bed, following familiar routines and enjoying the everyday things that matter to them.

If you're considering dementia care at home in Bromsgrove or Redditch, talk to Bluebird Care Bromsgrove & Redditch.

We'll listen to what's happening, answer your questions and talk through the care options that could work for you and your loved one.

Frequently asked questions about dementia care at home

Can a person with dementia be cared for at home?

Yes. Many people living with dementia can stay at home with the right support. How much care they need will depend on their circumstances, daily routines, mobility and how dementia affects them.

What does dementia care at home include?

It can include personal care, preparing meals, medication support, companionship, help getting around and support with everyday routines. The type and amount of care can change as someone's needs change.

When might someone with dementia need professional home care?

You may notice missed meals, forgotten medication, difficulty with personal care, more confusion or your loved one spending more time alone. Family carers may also decide they need some extra help.

Is home care better than a care home for dementia?

It depends on the person. Home care can help someone remain somewhere familiar, while a care home may be right for people with different care needs. Your loved one's wishes should be part of the decision wherever possible.

How can I make a home safer for someone with dementia?

Good lighting, fewer trip hazards and keeping familiar items easy to find can all help. You may also want to consider handrails, clear labels and changes to the kitchen or bathroom.

Can dementia care at home increase as someone's needs change?

Yes. Someone might start with occasional visits before moving to daily care or live-in support. Regular care reviews can help you decide whether the level of support still works for your loved one.