Support &
guidance
11 elderly dementia care options
There are multiple types of dementia care and they can be provided in a variety of different settings.
The type and setting of dementia care depend on the stage and severity of the dementia and the wishes of the person living with dementia.
Palliative care for dementia
Palliative care is professional support for people with life-limiting illnesses and their loved ones. It’s designed to promote your comfort and living standards using a holistic approach, helping you to stay comfortable and manage pain and other difficult symptoms. Palliative care mainly aims to improve quality of life for people with late stage dementia and help them live it to the fullest.
Saving for future care needs
Social care is rarely free and you are likely to need to pay towards at least some of the cost of your care. The more money you can save during your lifetime to specifically put towards the cost of care, the more control you will have over your care choices.
Please note that long-term care insurance policies are no longer sold (although some limited alternatives are available).
End of life dementia care
While it is perfectly possible to live well with dementia for any number of years, it is unfortunately still advisable to plan ahead and think about end of life care.
Making these decisions while you or your loved one with dementia is still able to make their choices known will give everyone a sense of peace and help to avoid difficult situations at a later date.
Eight questions to ask a care home about dementia care
Care homes are always happy to answer any questions you might have, or just have an informal chat about the services they offer. You need to choose the care that is right for you, so if you are looking for a care home that specialises in dementia then here are some questions that it might be helpful to ask.
NHS dementia care
Support is available from the NHS and the adult social services of your local authority to help when living with dementia. The first step to finding out the help you may be entitled to is to book a care needs assessment.
Dementia day care
Day care for people living with dementia is provided by adult day centres, to give people with dementia support and friendship, while also giving unpaid carers a break from their responsibilities.
Live in dementia care
Familiarity and stability of environment can be really important to the wellbeing of a person living with dementia. Employing a live in carer enables the person with dementia to receive full time care but within their own home, so without the upheaval of moving to a care home.
Financial products for care
There are a range of financial products available to help you provide funding for long-term care in your old age.
Dementia respite care
Spending time with and caring for someone with dementia can be difficult and everybody needs a break sometimes. There should be no guilt associated with looking at some respite care to make sure that you look after yourself too.