Caring for a dementia patient is the sort of thing better done in a care home. Or is it? Here are 6 reasons why live-in care is better.
As brain functions deteriorate it becomes more and more important to provide high quality care to dementia sufferers. Research by the Live-in Care Hub indicates that 69% of families worry that they won’t be able to provide the quality care they know their loved one needs. Yet there is at-home care that is suitable for people living with dementia and that is “live-in care”.
But just what is live-in care – well, it is high quality care, and extremely well suited to the needs of those with dementia. It isn’t necessarily more expensive than residential care, and yet can provide significant benefits, as we will discuss further on.
Home Sweet Home
Familiarity can be soothing to people suffering from dementia, and there’s nowhere else as familiar as their own home. From little things such as the feel of sitting in their usual spot to knowing how to get to the toilet in time being in a well-known space can be very reassuring. In fact, moving, whether to a residential facility or to a family member’s home, can cause dementia symptoms to worsen.
Specialist support
You may have been caring, and struggling to care, for your loved one for some time now and not want to give up your role. Some dementia sufferers can get extremely anxious if loved ones aren’t there. A live-in carer supports you as well as caring for your loved one, which reduces their fears and gives them more confidence.
Promotes independence
Not being able to remember where the spoons are kept or needing a little help to choose appropriate clothing doesn’t mean that a person can’t still enjoy an active life gardening, meeting up with friends or walking the dog. A live-in carer supports only the areas of life that their client needs support in, and tailors their support on a daily basis, ensuring independence is maintained for as long as possible.
Higher staff ratios
One-to-one care is extremely important for dementia sufferers who may struggle to recall different faces or be unable to deal with multiple people at the same time. By its very nature live-in care is always one-to-one, and with their specialist dementia support training live-in carers can promote a healthier and happier home.
Reduced risk of falling
Dementia is a risk factor for falling. Changes to vision can make the ground appear uneven, or even cause rugs to look like holes in the ground, causing sufferers to stumble and fall. Close supervision and always-there assistance, coupled with remaining in familiar surroundings, work together to reduce the chance that a person will fall when compared to residential care.
Link to the real world
With a live-in carer your loved one can retain links to friends, family, hobbies and other interests. They won’t need to give up a much-loved pet or cease being able to attend church services. To keep residents safe as many as 40% of residential facilities don’t allow their residents to leave the grounds, whereas many live-in care clients find their social lives bloom once they have the support of a carer to escort them.
