Coronavirus Care for those with dementia

Keeping your loved one safe at home with dementia

Living with dementia can be unsettling and confusing, both for the individual with the condition and their family. That’s why it’s important now more than ever that your loved one has the right type of support to help them cope with dementia, as well as the affects that coronavirus has on their daily routines and ways of living.

Being surrounded by the familiarity and comforts of your own home, instead of moving into residential care, can make the world of difference. That’s why we’ll ensure that we provide a continuation of care that caters to all of your needs. Whether you need visiting care once a day to check that you’re okay and help to prepare meals or if you need constant assistance from a live-in carer – we’ll put the right level of support in place that allows you to remain where you feel most content: your home.

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What is coronavirus dementia care?

Dementia care during the coronavirus outbreak is designed to cater for your specific needs relating to your dementia diagnosis, ensuring that you are fully supported through the pandemic and beyond. Helping Hands dementia care focuses on the individual and maintaining as much of their normal routine as possible, whilst observing new Government guidelines surrounding COVID-19.

Our high standards of care are centred around promoting independence whilst ensuring all of your needs are met. These may include:

Personal care – continence care, washing and getting dressed
Mobility support – assistance with one form of daily exercise outside of your home
Housekeeping – cleaning, laundry, meal preparation
Collecting essentials – shopping and medication
Companionship – emotional support and social interaction, especially if socially isolating

Whether your loved one already has dementia care in place or if you’re having to arrange care now that you’re unable to visit a family member who has dementia because of the coronavirus guidelines, we’ll make sure that your loved one is looked after, comforted and safe during the outbreak and furthermore.

How do you care for someone with dementia if they’re self-isolating?

There are many different types of dementia, all with different symptoms and different stages. Everyone will have their own experience with dementia that is individual to them, and that is something that we recognise here at Helping Hands. So, if your loved one with dementia is self-isolating, we can help to support them at home with care that is tailored to them.

For those in the early stages of dementia, they may need gentle reminders that they are unable to continue with their regular social activities or shopping trips. They may also need prompts to wash their hands more often, which could be in the form of picture reminders by their sink.

If your loved one is in the middle to later stages of dementia, it is important to keep their regular timetable in place as much as possible. Although there are some things that they won’t be able to do at the moment, such as accompanying you to the local shop to collect their daily newspaper or meeting friends at a day centre, there are plenty of things that they can continue to do at home or in the garden to keep them active and engaged. Isolation activities such as light exercise, completing jigsaw puzzles or starting a Life Story Book are great ways to stay occupied.

Many people with dementia experience confusion and disorientation as part of their condition, which may be exacerbated further by the current situation we find ourselves in. Some may forget what restrictions are in place and others may not be able to understand what is happening during the coronavirus pandemic or why loved ones can’t visit them. Our carers will support your loved one with managing their expectations and help them to feel as comfortable as possible, keeping in mind the extra distress that they may be feeling.

Dementia specialists during coronavirus outbreak

As one of the industry’s leading dementia home care specialists, we ensure that all of our carers receive dementia training so that they have the right skills and understanding required to care and support someone to live well with dementia.

Sarah Franklin We also have dedicated dementia experts within our team; Sarah Franklin is a dementia specialist for Helping Hands, promoting exemplary levels of dementia care throughout the company. She has been with us since 2016 and has a ‘Train the Trainer’ qualification from the Homecare Association for her work on dementia training. She is also a dementia ambassador for the Alzheimer’s Society.