LIVING WELL WITH DEMENTIA, FOR ALL OF LIFE
At Prestige Nursing & Care, we believe that people living with dementia should be able to live a fulfilled and healthy life at home. With the right support in place, tailored to their individual needs.
As an established provider of dementia home care, we have supported individuals living with dementia to have an improved quality of life in their own homes and communities for over 75 years. We are trusted by families up and down the country to provide care for all of life, evolving the level and type of care we provide to meet changing needs.
YOUR HOME IS BEST FOR DEMENTIA CARE
We know through our experience of supporting thousands of people and their families, that facing the prospect of needing long-term care and support can be a challenging time. For those with dementia care needs, most people would prefer to stay in the safety, comfort and familiarity of their treasured home and not endure the disruption caused from a move away.
By receiving care at home for dementia, a person can benefit from sensory stimulation, a crucial component of good dementia care gained from having all their belongings and memories around them. Preserving very personal and deeply integrated routines can help a person living with dementia to maintain a sense of control over their life.
Receiving dementia care in your own home means you can continue to live life your way, whilst benefiting from one-to-one care provided by a competent and compassionate carer. Our carers are there to provide round-the-clock, dedicated support, so you can enjoy an improved quality of life with enhanced well-being.
WHAT IS DEMENTIA?
According to Alzheimer’s Research UK, there are over 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK and this is set to rise to over one million in the next five years. Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe conditions that affect the brain and lead to a loss of cognitive function. Dementia is caused when the brain’s neurons (nerve cells) are damaged or lose their ability to communicate with one another. As more neurons are lost or damaged, symptoms of dementia gradually become worse.
There are over 200 different types of dementia, but the most common forms are Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, Lewy bodies dementia, vascular dementia and mixed dementia. Whilst dementia is most common in older people, people can be diagnosed with early onset dementia or with young person’s dementia in their 40s and 50s.
Common dementia symptoms
Every person living with dementia will experience it in different ways, but the most common symptoms include:
Memory problems – dementia affects short-term memory and people living with dementia may have problems retaining new information. Relatives may notice that the person is increasingly forgetful, which typically becomes progressively worse over time.
Communication problems – people with dementia may repeat themselves frequently or struggle to find the right words. Writing and reading can become challenging.
Decline in cognitive function – dementia affects a person’s ability to process information and people living with dementia may have problems with time and place. Concentration can also be impacted and the person’s ability to make decisions can be affected. This impact on cognitive function can make some people restless whilst others are reluctant to take part in things they used to.
DIAGNOSIS OF DEMENTIA
No single test can diagnose dementia, so doctors will review a person’s medical history and symptoms and conduct imaging and diagnostic tests to confirm a diagnosis.
- Medical history: During a medical history and physical exam, a doctor will look for signs of common dementia symptoms such as memory loss, confusion or changes. They may also inquire about any medications that are taken, as drug interactions or overmedication can cause similar symptoms to those of dementia.
- Mental status exam: A doctor, dementia nurse or other healthcare professionals may perform a mental status examination. This is used to assess a person’s mental health and cognitive function and may involve a number of questions, observations, and small tests.
- Blood tests: Blood tests can be used to rule out other conditions that can mimic the symptoms of dementia. Some routine tests include thyroid hormone tests and vitamin B12 tests.
- Brain scans: Brain imaging scans such as CT scans and MRIs may be used to examine the brain and ensure other problems such as a stroke or tumour are not responsible for the symptoms.
There are many conditions that can mimic the early signs of dementia, so it is important to have your health and medical history examined by your GP to rule out any other potential causes before dementia can be diagnosed.
HOW DEMENTIA AFFECTS EVERYDAY LIFE
Dementia can have a major impact on a person’s life as they go from living independently to needing extra support as the disease progresses. Although every person’s experience with dementia will be different, there are many common challenges individuals living with dementia face such as bathing, dressing, eating or remembering to take their medication.
These changes can be distressing for someone living with dementia, but they can also be difficult for their family and friends. Many families choose to look after their loved ones on their own and this can be emotionally and physically exhausting. For family members that feel that they could use some extra support, help is available from professional carers who can alleviate some of this stress.
CARING FOR SOMEONE WITH DEMENTIA AT HOME
Looking after someone with dementia presents certain challenges, but it can also be incredibly rewarding to know that you are helping someone through a difficult time.
The easiest way to support someone living with dementia is to use their identity to communicate with them and help remind them of happy memories. By engaging with the interests, hobbies, or activities that are important to the person, you can facilitate communication and encourage mental stimulation.
As your loved one’s dementia progresses, they may need increased levels of support. It is important to still allow them to participate in as many day-to-day tasks as they are able to help with, to help the person feel useful and maintain their sense of independence.
Encourage your loved one to maintain a healthy diet and enjoy regular exercise. The longer your loved one stays healthy, the better quality of life they will have. Plan healthy activities your loved one might enjoy such as sharing meals together or going for a stroll in the park. Try and engage in these activities at the same time each day to build positive routines.
DEMENTIA CARE AT HOME VS. RESIDENTIAL CARE HOME
There are many life-enriching benefits to receiving dementia care in your own home as opposed to moving into a care home, including:
- One-to-one, highly personalised care delivered by the same compassionate team improves quality of care delivered, continuity and consistency.
- Receiving a high-quality home care service is proven to reduce hospital admissions compared to a care home.
- A dedicated care team is there to support not just the person living with dementia, but all the family. They will really get to know the family and the challenges they are facing and will help them cope throughout their dementia journey.
- Staying at home means you keep the family home in the family, and you have all your home comforts around you to enjoy.
- If you are a couple you can still stay together even if you have very different needs with home care.
- Home care is very cost effective when compared to the cost of a care package in a care home.
OUR APPROACH TO DEMENTIA CARE AT HOME
At Prestige Nursing & Care, we provide a care and support package that enables you to live a happy and fulfilled life in the safety and comfort of your own home. The dementia care and support we provide will be guided by you and tailored to your needs, giving you choice over how you live your life and the support you want.
Our approach to person-centred dementia care at home means our care team will truly get to know you as a person. This means that the care and support provided can be highly tailored allowing you to live a meaningful and purposeful life. They will ensure you feel content and fulfilled, whilst all your choices and preferences are respected. With our dedicated one-to-one dementia care and support, we aim to minimise the use of the antipsychotic medications commonly used in care homes, whilst reducing hospital admissions.
We know through our experience of providing dementia care, how important it is to have a healthy lifestyle as this can help slow the progression of dementia. Our encouraging carers will ensure you have a balanced and healthy diet and stay physically active and mentally stimulated so that you can retain your skills and abilities.
We work collaboratively with our clients and their families to develop a thorough care and support plan that accurately reflects a person’s holistic needs. We also adopt a partnership approach to working with local authority partners, NHS services, multidisciplinary teams, therapists and other community bodies involved in a person’s care. This means we are well-informed and can provide continuity of care ensuring the right support is in place at the right time, whilst responding efficiently to changing needs and strengthening care provision when required.
COMPETENT AND COMPASSIONATE DEMENTIA CARERS
When you choose Prestige Nursing & Care, you can be reassured that the carer who cares for you or your loved one is expertly trained to provide the support you need, to the high standards you should expect. All carers that join us complete our induction training programme, which goes above mandatory requirements.
We adopt a bespoke approach to training that ensures our carers have the knowledge, skills and aptitude to deliver high-quality home care that meets the needs of our clients. If a client is living with a specialist condition like dementia, we will make sure they are trained and supported to effectively provide the care you need.
We are very proud of our carers – each and every one of them is dedicated to providing compassionate, sensitive and dignified home care that means our clients live a fulfilled and meaningful life, with independence and choice, for all of life.
CLINICAL EXCELLENCE AT PRESTIGE NURSING & CARE
Clinical excellence is at the heart of our culture and approach to service delivery at Prestige Nursing & Care. Our nurse-led home care service is monitored and supported by our experienced regional nursing teams. Our team of qualified regional nurses are registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Each holds a registered nursing qualification in at least one nursing specialism, including general adult nursing, learning and disability nursing, mental health nursing and children’s nursing. They enable the planning and delivery of safe and effective complex care to our clients, that is focused on ensuring the best possible care experience for our clients and their families.
Our nurses work in partnership with our care co-ordinators, carers, clients and families to identify specific care needs and plan the most appropriate care provision, whilst ensuring all our carers have the skills they need to deliver high standards of nurse-led care. They also provide families with on-going advice and continual support to ensure they feel reassured about the service we provide.
WHAT DOES OUR HOME CARE SERVICE INCLUDE FOR THOSE WHO NEED DEMENTIA CARE?
HOW WE PROVIDE CARE AT HOME FOR THOSE WHO ARE LIVING WITH DEMENTIA
Our trusted and established care at home service can be provided in the following ways for someone living with dementia:
- Hourly care or visiting care is for those who need care and support with tasks of daily living or clinical care at certain times during the day. Care at home can be provided from a 60 minute daily visit to as many hours/visits throughout the day you require. One day or several days of the week depending on your care and support needs. For those who have complex needs, 24-hour dementia care at home can be provided.
- Respite care for those needing a short-term arrangement after hospital discharge to rehabilitate or when a family carer needs a break from their caring role. It is also an ideal service for families who wish to assess whether care at home is the right care choice for them.
CARE MANAGEMENT LOCAL TO YOU
Our responsive and reliable dementia care service local to you means we can put care and support in place quickly and in many cases within 24-hours. Our care experts will conduct a comprehensive assessment of your needs at home, in hospital or in any specialist care setting if you are awaiting discharge back to your own home enabling a plan of care and support to be developed that meets all your needs.
Our approach to care planning ensures we capture all your preferences and wishes so you can live a contented life with dementia care at home. We take time to find the dementia carer that would best meet your care and support needs, making sure they are closely aligned with how you wish to live your life. Once care is in place, our local teams made up of care and clinical experts provide you, your family and our carer with an abundance of on-going support, giving you peace of mind that you or your loved one is receiving the very best home care.
QUALITY ASSURANCE THROUGH REGULATED SERVICE PROVISION
Prestige Nursing & Care is not an agency. Unlike a home care agency, we provide a fully managed and regulated care at home service, which means our clients, their families and our professional partners can be reassured that the dementia care and support we provide is of the very highest quality.
Our service is inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in England and the Scottish Care Inspectorate (SCI) in Scotland. We are proud that 96% of our inspected services have been rated as providing a ‘Good’ service, with 4% rated ‘Outstanding’ and all our services in Scotland have been awarded a five-star rating.
COST OF DEMENTIA CARE
The cost of dementia care is dependent on the level of care and support you require. If you are receiving our hourly dementia care the overall cost will be determined by the number of visits and frequency of visits to you at home. Our experts will conduct a comprehensive assessment of your needs at your home, or in hospital if you are awaiting discharge to truly understand what you need and therefore how much dementia care at home will cost.
RESPONSIVE LOCAL TEAMS WITH NATIONWIDE COVERAGE
We are providing care and support to those who are living with dementia in over 30 locations in the heart of communities across England and Scotland. The fully managed service we provide is highly responsive and our experts local to you can put care packages in place quickly, working in collaboration with local healthcare professionals, multidisciplinary teams, therapeutic care providers and other community support services. We know this holistic approach ensures our clients get the best out of life, for all of life.
Find out why our clients choose Prestige Nursing & Care for a high quality, responsive home care service.
DEMENTIA CARE FAQS
USEFUL RESOURCES
There are several organisations and charities in the UK that support those who need dementia care, including Dementia UK, the Alzheimer’s Society, Young Dementia UK and Dementia Friends.