Recognising the right time to place a loved one with Dementia into care

The recent news that Dame Barbara Windsor is to go into a care home, due to her Alzheimer’s progressing, is of course sad, but we thought it was brave of her husband to tell the public and admit how tough the decision had been. 

Even when someone is famous and has many resources available to them, we understand that there comes a point at which the carer can no longer provide what is needed by their loved one. Although it is sometimes very rewarding, being a full time carer for a loved one can be a hugely demanding job. 

This can be a very difficult thing to come to terms with, but it is an important part of the role as a carer for a loved one. As much as you may still want to provide the care, you may begin to realise that you simply cannot do it alone anymore and that extra help is needed. 

Two gentlemen residents sat outside enjoying good conversation with one another.

Extra help does not have to mean moving into a full-time care home though. There are many different care options available; including getting visits from a care professional, or respite care for a day or two, or even regular day care at a home like ours. 

Dementia Progression – 3 signs to look for

If you’re struggling to recognise the right time to place a loved one with Dementia into care, there are a few signs that you need to look out for:

Wandering

People suffering with Dementia can often find themselves wandering around in a confused state. This may not be a problem at first but, as the Dementia progresses, the person being cared for may find themselves in danger, even if the carer leaves for just a couple of minutes.

If you notice that the person you’re caring for starts to wander more often, it may be time to seek extra help to ensure the safety of the person suffering with Dementia.

Aggression

As you may know, physical, sexual or violent aggression is a symptom of Dementia and this can be highly distressing for the carer. You may begin to feel resentful or stressed as a result and, if this is the case, it may be time to seek help with caring for the person with Dementia.

Sundowning

Sundowning Syndrome is very common in people suffering from Dementia and refers to the agitated behaviour that becomes more pronounced later in the day. Again, this may not seem problematic at first however; if this starts to disrupt family routines or sleep then it is worth seeking help as  the caregiving burden will become  too difficult to handle. It is vital to remember that there is absolutely no shame in asking for help and often it is better for everyone if extra help is found. 

Whatever happens, one of the biggest things to remember is to communicate; 

The benefits of moving into a care home

Our residents taking part in a craft session with a helper from outside of our home.
Photo was taken pre-pandemic.

It is important to remember that although it is a difficult decision to make, there are many benefits to moving a Dementia sufferer into a care home. 

Here are a few that you may have not thought of:

Social Benefits

Aside from receiving professional care 24 hours a day, there are a lot of social benefits to staying in a care home. In our home in particular, there is a great family feel that allows all of our residents to get along well and socialise with one another. Most care homes will also have lots of activities going on, which will give your loved one the opportunity to practise a hobby or even learn a new skill whilst socialising with other residents or the instructor. 

Physical Benefits

Having a care team there all the time and a full schedule of activities means that many of our residents actually get much more physical exercise than when they lived at home. Even our art activities are planned to sustain manual dexterity. Dementia is one thing, but it doesn’t mean we can’t look after all the other common things that come with age too.

Mental Health Benefits

VIRTUAL REALITY GOGGLES
Our Virtual Reality headset in use.

We make sure we run a wide range of activities that are proven to help improve mental health, this includes music and lots of intergenerational activity (read our separate blog on this here) which are both proven to improve mood and positively stimulate brain activity. Even in this time of lockdown when we’ve not been able to have visitors we have used our technology to make sure that residents can keep in touch with loved ones and be visually stimulated through the use of things like our Virtual Reality headset.

Despite all this, we do appreciate how hard making the decision to place your loved one in a care home will be. If you’re even in the earliest of stages and just planning for the future, we are happy to have a chat. If our home is not right for your loved one, then we will usually know others that are. Call 01903 700251 today to chat with a member of our professional team in full confidence.