Living With Dementia at Home

Living with dementia at home can be challenging, but with the right support and adjustments, it’s possible to maintain a high quality of life. This article explores practical tips for creating a dementia-friendly home, engaging in stimulating activities, and accessing professional care to ensure safety and comfort for those living with dementia.

How to Live a Quality Life at Home With Dementia

With the right support, living well with dementia home care can be achieved, despite the challenges that come with this diagnosis. Primarily, it is important to understand that life does not end after a dementia diagnosis. Instead, it's about restructuring life to accommodate the symptoms and cater for the person's needs.

Remaining active and involved in a familiar environment helps to maintain a sense of normality. Various NHS-led studies suggest that regular physical and mental stimulation can slow progression and maintain neurological function for longer. Hence, they recommend activities such as reading, gardening, or even learning a new language.

A supportive network of family, friends and carers, who respect and understand what you're experiencing, is essential. Dementia can make you feel alone and lost, but the love and understanding of close people can help you feel safe, respected and loved.

Lastly, seeking professional advice is critical. Care agencies offer expert help and resources for making your home dementia-friendly. Their customised and compassionate care ensures the person living with dementia can continue to live a fulfilling life at home for longer.

Ensuring safer flooring in homes is crucial to prevent falls, particularly for older or more vulnerable individuals. This could encompass tasks such as removing loose rugs that might pose a tripping hazard or installing non-slip mats in high-risk areas such as bathrooms or kitchens.

Additionally, using contrasting colours throughout household spaces can be beneficial, particularly for individuals with cognitive impairments like dementia. This visual strategy can help them differentiate between distinct furniture items, or recognise different rooms in a house more easily. The key is to create an environment that is not just safe, but also supportive and responsive to their unique needs.

Labels and signs are helpful tools that can be utilised effectively to remind individuals of what is stored in particular areas or to identify different rooms. This small effort can help minimise confusion and make it easier to navigate through their environment.

Mirrors can encourage uncertainty and bewilderment. Mirrors may lead a person to believe they are seeing another individual, which can induce stress. As a straightforward solution, covering or removing mirrors from the space can greatly minimise any potential distress or bewilderment caused by such reflections. This is a simple, yet significant step towards creating a more comfortable environment.

What Are Some Dementia-friendly Household Items?

Retaining independence and familiarity with one's surroundings are critical aspects of managing dementia. There is a variety of products designed specifically to help those living with dementia maintain a smooth day-to-day lifestyle at home. Uncomplicated, user-friendly electronics like cordless telephones and remote controls with oversized buttons are incredibly beneficial. These allow easy contact with loved ones and control over the home environment without getting overwhelmed by technology.

In addition, clocks that show both the time and date in large, easy-to-read fonts can help in sustaining a perception of time, which can often be difficult for someone with dementia. Such clocks can also be set to give reminders for meal times, medication, and other critical activities.

Similar helpful devices include notice boards with large, brightly coloured markers or post-it notes so that important tasks or appointments are easily visible. In essence, there are numerous ways to adapt a home to make living with dementia easier and more comfortable.

To maintain safety in the kitchen, one valuable device could be an automatic shut-off kettle. This is beneficial because it instantly eliminates the risk of the kettle being accidentally left on, potentially causing a dangerous situation. It could be worth considering the use of colour-coded kitchenware, including crockery and utensils, to aid in easy identification.

Another useful tip is to introduce contrasting placemats. These will be particularly helpful in enabling them to better distinguish between different food items placed on the table. Administering these slight changes in the kitchen can truly ensure a more secure environment.

You can count on these resources for reliable, updated information and guidance that can greatly assist you as you provide care and support for your loved one with dementia. National dementia organisations also offer helplines, information leaflets, and connections with local support groups. For instance, "Alzheimer's Society" organises "Dementia Talking Point", an online community where people with dementia, their carers, and family members can share experiences and advice.

Will Dementia Home Care Allow Me to Still Go Out and About?

Absolutely! Receiving home care while living well with dementia doesn’t have to suggest that you're bound to your home. It's really about guaranteeing that any outings are pleasant, free from pressure, and secure. For instance, habitual visits to calm spots such as parks, can be a great source of calmness.

Taking trips to the theatre, enjoying mesmerising plays and shows, can serve as a tool for cognitive stimulation. Venturing to other treasured spots like museums or galleries can serve to stir old memories, boost morale, and promote overall well-being. We believe that maintaining an active lifestyle can greatly contribute to the quality of life for those living well with dementia.

In addition to these safety precautions, having the correct information about the area you are visiting can also be helpful. Locating nearby hospitals, pharmacies, and knowing the local emergency number can save precious time in an emergency. Consider learning a few key phrases in the local language in case you need assistance. Furthermore, being aware of the local customs and laws can help you avoid any unnecessary problems during your journey.

Remember, dementia might alter your life, but it doesn't need to define it. Make the most of the support available, to continue living life as fully as possible.

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Our dementia home help carers offer high-quality care for your loved ones. If you require dementia home care services  in London our specialist helpers will help you remain independent in familiar surroundings. Contact Companions Home Care today to learn more about our dementia services.