Living with Dementia
What is dementia?
Dementia describes different brain disorders that trigger a loss of brain function. These conditions are all usually progressive and eventually severe. Symptoms include memory loss, confusion and problems with speech and understanding.
There are over 850,000 people in the UK with dementia and 70% of people in care homes have dementia or severe memory problems.
Dementia can affect all aspects of a person’s life as well as those around them.
However, it is important to remember that:
- they are still the same person even though they have problems with memory, concentration and planning
- everyone experiences dementia differently
- focusing on the things the person can still do and enjoy will help you both stay positive
Keeping socially active for as long as possible is good for confidence and wellbeing. There are many dementia-friendly activities available, have a look online to see what might be available near you.
In Brighton, for example they run dementia-friendly gardening sessions every Tuesday. Being outdoors in the fresh air amongst nature is amazing therapy for the soul. That’s why our care home gardens are so important. We try to get out in the garden as much as possible, whether it’s for a spot of gardening or for tea and cake.
The same company also organises a monthly dementia-friendly cooking class. The Alzheimer’s Society also runs different sessions to work on maintaining skills.
Here are a few tips to help manage dementia
- Have a regular routine
- Put a weekly timetable on the kitchen wall or fridge and schedule activities for when you are at your best
- Keep your keys in an obvious place
- Have a list of helpful numbers by the phone
- Use direct debits for regular bills
- Use a pill organiser box
- Make sure your home is safe and dementia-friendly
The way your home is designed and laid out can have a big impact on someone with dementia.
That’s why we spent time and money investing in our care home’s layout and decor creating colour coded ‘zones to aid orientation. It is also vitally important for us that our residents feel at home, which is why thought, care, and also input from residents themselves has gone into the decoration of each and every one of our 28 bedrooms. Each door is clearly numbered and with consent, photos are attached to aid orientation.
Symptoms of memory loss, confusion and difficulty learning new things can mean someone with dementia may forget where they are, where things are and how things work. We think of ways to help residents live a full and independent life for as long as possible, welcoming visitors whenever they choose and hopefully providing as much of a home-from-home feel as we can.
A Care Team to Write Home About…
Kennedy, one of our lovely Care Assistants took the time out from her busy day to tell us what life as a care assistant at Fairdene Lodge our sister care home is really all about…
I’ve been working in care for over five years now, it’s something I always wanted to do. Having grown up with a cousin with learning disabilities I enjoyed helping her and playing with her growing up. So much so that I started volunteering at a day centre and that’s where my career in care began. I wanted to work in a role that I found rewarding, and being a care assistant I find really rewarding.
I’ve been at Fairdene since November 2018 and I can say hand on heart this is the best care home I’ve worked at. This is because of the real focus on person centred care (as it is at both our care homes) and the staff are really friendly. As a team we work to give every resident the best possible quality of life and we offer a wide range of activities alongside our care to achieve this.
We try and offer a mix of physical and mental activities and we are always welcoming people into the home to offer different activities from singers with instruments to get everyone involved to Pet Pals who visit once a month with different animals for the residents to meet and pet. A couple of months ago we had goats at Fairdene – the first time I have ever seen a goat in a care home! The residents loved feeding the goats and the little tickle of the goat eating out of their hands.
But it’s not all about dancing and singing we also use meaningful activities to create a real homely feel. So if residents want to get involved in the cleaning of the home they can – whether that’s sweeping up, helping clear after meals or helping us take in deliveries. All tasks appeal to a different personality, so our ex-builder resident likes to be involved in taking in the deliveries, while our resident who used to work in the boxing industry tells us stories about al the sights and celebrities he’s seen.
No two days are the same at Fairdene Lodge, and when you arrive at the beginning of your shift, you never know what kind of day it might be, but it’s good to know on the more stressful and taxing days that I have such great team support. We all help each other out and we get the chance to reward our fellow team mates with “employee of the month” voted for by us!
I love having a laugh with the residents and hearing everyone’s stories, but what I really love about working at Fairdene Lodge is going home feeling that I have done some good, that I’ve made a difference.