Knowing how to care for someone with dementia can be a lot of pressure for family members. For many, the thought of placing a loved one into a nursing home, even specialist dementia care homes, can be distressing. This is where dementia home care comes in, providing that much needed dementia support at home.

Alcedo Care offers regulated dementia care in homes across the North of England and North Wales. Our dementia home care keeps clients safe and happy in familiar surroundings, avoiding separation from friends, family and even pets! Choosing the right at-home dementia care provider is a crucial decision for ensuring your loved one’s well-being and quality of life. In this blog, we’ll discuss some key factors to consider when making your selection:

Do they train their staff in dementia care?

Look for providers with care assistants who have specific training and experience in caring for individuals with dementia. This will ensure they understand the unique challenges and needs of your loved one.

Continuously striving to improve the quality of the care we deliver, our in-house Training Academy is central to our success in delivering top quality care. All of our care assistants receive mandatory introductory training covering the basics of care, with our complex care team providing client-specific training to ensure we are able to deliver bespoke packages of care for every client’s needs. Find out more about our quality and training here.

Are they a regulated provider?

Home care providers can be non-regulated, meaning they act as an introductory agency. This can be quite transactional, with the management of the care then left to the family. This includes employment contracts, paying the carer, and arranging cover for holidays and sickness. Non-regulated care providers are not able to offer any sort of personal care, showering, continence care, dressing, medical care, or anything which requires training, which can be a massive issue for those looking for dementia care.

Therefore, we would advise looking for a regulated provider such as Alcedo Care – we are regulated by the CQC in England and CIW in Wales. This means we are monitored to ensure our person-centred care is safe, effective, caring, well-led and responsive to people’s needs. Being a regulated service means we provide a fully managed care service, meaning that from the moment you place an enquiry with us through to receiving ongoing home care from us, we manage the entire process from care planning, recruitment and background checks, training and auditing staff and regularly reviewing your package of care to ensure it meets our clients needs, even as they change over time.

What dementia care services are offered?

As mentioned above, there are some elements of care that you will need to ensure you reach out to a regulated provider for. You should consider what your loved one will need help with and discuss this with your care provider so that they can put the correct package in place. Dementia care that your provider can offer can include:

Daily assistance. As long as your care provider is regulated this can include Personal Care, Showering, Continence Care and Dressing
Medication Management – Ensure the dementia care provider has systems in place for safe and accurate medication administration
Companionship and social interaction. Socialising is crucial for wellbeing – our care assistants can offer stimulating activities, and companionship and accompany your loved one on days out
Transportation assistance. Ask if your care provider can recruit carers that drive, so they can help with appointments, errands, or social outings.
Overnight care. Care needs are 24/7, Waking Night care options mean a carer can be there to help with any care needs or distress in the night.
Live-in Dementia Care. This provides 24/7 support, offering companionship for those living alone or needing constant assistance. This is the ultimate replacement for a specialist dementia care home, and in fact offers more one-to-one support! Interested in live-in dementia care? Speak to our live-in care team on 0333 015 0677.
Respite care. Sometimes you just need a break from caring responsibilities – short-term respite care can you give you some much-needed time off.
Clinical Care. Often care needs may be more complex, with dual diagnosis or other health conditions at play. Alcedo Care’s nurse-led complex care team can provide packages of care for more complex needs, such as airway management, gastrostomy care, spinal injuries and more.

What’s their reputation like?

Finally, in addition to checking that your care provider is a regulated service, look for reviews and references. Platforms like homecare.co.uk are specially for care providers, and let you see verified reviews from home care clients and their families. You can search by location or for individual providers or groups directly. Alcedo Care have recently been awarded Top 20 Home Care Group for the 5th year in a row on the basis of our client reviews!

In conclusion, the best at-home dementia care provider is one that you feel comfortable and confident with, and who can provide the level of care and support your loved one needs to thrive in their own home. At Alcedo Care, we always strive to enrich lives and support independence.