Domiciliary care is when care is provided in a person’s own home. This can be appropriate if help is required with practical tasks or personal care without a move to a care home. This type of care can help people with dementia to stay in their own home.
Help and support with daily tasks such as shopping or cooking, getting up and dressed, or companionship can often be provided in the person’s home by a carer from an agency (known as domiciliary care, care at home or hourly care). These can be provided for a set period of time or even a few times throughout the day (commonly as a ‘visit’).
Domiciliary care tasks
Care at home can be especially useful in the early stages of dementia, where the person needs some extra help but does not need to want to move to a care home.
Domiciliary care agencies can help with a range of daily tasks, including:
Questions about funding care?
Care Sourcer’s friendly care experts are on hand to provide guidance on typical care costs, help you explore your funding and benefit options, or even negotiate care fees on your behalf. Call us on freephone:
(Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm)
- cooking
- cleaning and laundry
- bathing and personal care
- dressing
- helping with medication
- a carer can also help to look after pets
Benefits include:
- Care can be tailored and flexible to meet individual needs
- Allows people with early stage dementia to remain living within their own home and community
- Can be a more affordable care option, depending on the amount of time required
A care support worker can also be employed directly, rather than through an agency. This is more commonly called a personal assistant.
Domiciliary care services
There are several types of domiciliary care available:
Companionship care
Care can start as informally as someone popping in for a cup of tea and a chat – there is no task too small. This is called companionship care, and typically involves a social visit, help with shopping, and sometimes cooking and light cleaning.
Housing support
For this type of care, a carer will visit a few times a week to help with opening mail, paying bills, and generally anything that helps maintain the home. This is an especially useful care option for people with mental health conditions or learning disabilities.
Domiciliary care with two carers
If support is needed with getting in and out of bed or walking, many care agencies offer domiciliary care with two carers.
Multiple care visits per day
Many care agencies will offer care with multiple visits per day – for example, a visit to the home in the morning, midday, and before bed.
Night care
Night time care is when a carer stays in the home to provide any assistance that may be required during the night, either being awake throughout the night, or sleeping but will wake if needed.
Nursing domiciliary care
If support is needed with things like injections, changing or applying dressings, assisting with oxygen or other nursing help, some care agencies can offer specialty nursing care support.
Home safety for someone with dementia
If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with dementia, there are some steps you should take to make sure your home is as safe as possible.
Dementia can affect depth perception, coordination, memory and strength, among other things, so making small changes at an early stage can prevent upheaval and disruption later on, and means your home is as safe an environment as it can be.
These include:
- Lighting improvements to help with depth perception and balance issues – making sure every is well lit, lighting that remain on at night or is triggered by movement, and light switches at both the top and bottom stair
- Adding handrails to stairs and checking that rugs and furniture do not cause any trip hazards
- Improving home security with a smart doorbell
Find out more about how to make the home safe for elderly people.
Cost of dementia domiciliary care
Charged on an hourly basis, care at home tends to be more affordable than living in a care home.
Your care package may include care from one or both of these categories:
- personal care: qualified care assistants provide support with washing, dressing, dining and socialising
- nursing care: registered nurses provide support in the same areas, as well as with specialist medical requirements
Questions about funding care?
Care Sourcer’s friendly care experts are on hand to provide guidance on typical care costs, help you explore your funding and benefit options, or even negotiate care fees on your behalf.
Call us on freephone: 0800 098 8299 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm)
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