Dementia Care
At Ribbesford Home Care, we are committed to delivering excellence in Dementia Care services for you or your loved one.
Our specialised Dementia Care service is precisely tailored to meet your individual needs, ensuring that you feel safe and content within the comforts of your own home. Our team of Care Professionals undergo specific and comprehensive training to cater to your unique requirements, while providing you with peace of mind and removing any concerns.
Our Service
We assist individuals living with dementia in maintaining an independent and happy life at home. We concentrate on improving the quality of life and slowing the progression of the condition through engaging activities. Our in-house training ensures that our Care Professionals stay up to date with the latest skills and best practices, ensuring that your care always adheres to the highest standards.
We understand the emotional, social, and practical challenges of living well with dementia.Our Dementia Care service aims to manage the effects and symptoms of dementia while offering warmth, comfort, and reassurance to both the individual and their families.
With 24/7 availability, you will never feel isolated. We understand the significance of being there for you, whether it's through a phone call or an in-person meeting. We strive to provide excellent communication and reassurance.
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Our fully trained Care Professionals are readily available to provide whatever support you or your loved one needs to maintain their quality of life while staying at home. We will collaborate with you to create a personalised Care and Support Plan, whether you require someone to check on your relative in the morning and assist with breakfast, or continuous around-the-clock live-in care to ensure their safety throughout the night.
Some Examples of the Services we Provide
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Our services offer the support and care you require to navigate any challenging days with your loved ones.
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Check-in, to ensure the client is safe, healthy and all needs have been met.
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Reminding or assisting you with taking your medications to manage your symptoms.
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Support with bathing, showering, and/or dressing to ensure you look your best.
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Catheter care and continence management to preserve your dignity and comfort.
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Assistance in establishing a regular exercise routine to enhance mood and mobility and strengthen muscles.
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Ensuring you have an adequate intake of fluids and a balanced diet, with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and fibre to maintain your health.
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Helping with routine household chores and shopping to ensure your home life is as you desire it to be.
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Providing companionship or assisting you in engaging in social activities.
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Help with mealtimes and preparing nutritious and balanced meals.
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Offering confidence-building support.
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Assisting with challenging behaviours.
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Live-in care with 24-hour support.
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Dedicated Care Professionals.
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Tailoring care and support to your preferences.
If you require specific care and support needs not mentioned above, please get in touch and we will do our best to accommodate your requirements.
Contact us today to discover how Ribbesford Home Care can provide unhurried care and support to you and your family.
How Our Service Works
When you are ready, you can choose your preferred method of contacting us. We need to understand your needs, so a conversation over the phone, a video call, or an in-person meeting will enable us to begin building a clear picture of the care and support required, while providing opportunities for you to ask as many questions as you need.
If you decide to proceed, a senior member of our team will visit your or your loved one's home to conduct a Care Assessment. This initial visit allows us to see the home and better understand all specific requirements. The information gathered during this assessment will be used to create your personalised care and support plan, which will be one of all aspects our service reviewed by the regulator, the Care Quality Commission.
Before our first home visit, we will take the time to match you with a Care Professional who is appropriately qualified and aligns well with your preferences, from taking care of your pets to tending to your garden.
What is Dementia Care?
Dementia care involves providing the necessary care and support for you or your loved one to continue living at home and lead a fulfilling life. Our expert care professionals collaborate with you and your family to establish a routine that promotes as much independence as possible while providing a clear focus on safety, health, and wellbeing.
Adapting the Service
As dementia progresses, the world of the person with dementia and their family carers gradually narrows. Maintaining a life outside one's home, or preserving the close bonds that are cherished, can become increasingly challenging. This, coupled with the demands of providing practical care and support, can leave you feeling isolated and exhausted.
A change in routine and environment can be overwhelming for someone living with dementia. That's why more families are turning to home care, rather than residential care, so their loved one can remain in the familiar and beloved surroundings they know. Our Dementia Care service is sensitively designed to meet the individual needs of you and your family.
With kindness and compassion, our highly trained specialists provide flexible services tailored to fit your loved one's chosen lifestyle, allowing them to continue enjoying the important aspects of life, while making sure their care and support plan evolves to meet any development in dementia and new needs or requirements.
What is Dementia?
Dementia is an umbrella term encompassing a range of progressive symptoms and conditions that affect the normal functioning of the brain and memory. The brain consists of billions of neurons, or nerve cells, that communicate with each other through chemical signals. Dementia causes these neurons to deteriorate, making it increasingly challenging for the brain to function as intended.
The effects on the body are typically subtle at first but progressively intensify as the condition advances. The symptoms experienced by someone with dementia depend on two factors: the specific disease that is causing the dementia, and the areas of the brain affected, as different brain regions control various aspects of the body, from movement to regulating complex systems vital for health and well-being.
The Difference Between Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia
People often confuse the terms 'dementia' and 'Alzheimer's disease.' Dementia is the overarching term for a group of diseases that all lead to a significant decline in brain function. Alzheimer's disease, on the other hand, is one specific type of dementia and is the most common form.
There are six primary types of dementia, each with its own causes and symptoms:
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Alzheimer's
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Vascular or Multi-Infarct Dementia
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Dementia with Lewy Bodies
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Frontotemporal Dementia or Pick's Disease
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Mixed Dementia
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Young-Onset Dementia
What Causes Dementia?
Dementia is not an inevitable consequence of aging, although the risk of dementia does increase significantly with age. It can affect both younger adults and older individuals. Various risk factors for dementia include genetic, medical, lifestyle, and environmental factors. While it's possible to mitigate some risk factors, others, such as aging and genetic predisposition, cannot be controlled.
Currently, there are approximately 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK, and this number is projected to reach one million by 2025.
Symptoms of Dementia
Dementia symptoms vary depending on the type of dementia and the affected brain cells. Additionally, dementia can manifest differently in individuals. Here are some common early signs of dementia:
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Increasing memory loss, forgetting familiar people, places, or recent events.
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Slower thinking speed and difficulty finding the right words.
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Episodes of mental confusion.
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Difficulty comprehending or making decisions.
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Impaired reasoning, an inability to make judgments, plan, or carry out tasks requiring concentration.
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Changes in personality or mood, including disinhibited behaviour.
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Heightened apathy or loss of interest in usual activities.
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Withdrawal due to decreased confidence or an inability to manage everyday tasks and communication.
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Hallucinations, experiencing things that others don't.
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Loss of sense of time, people, and places.
While there is no cure for dementia, it can be managed with the right support and Dementia Care at home.
We can help individuals living with dementia lead fulfilling lives and support family members affected by their loved one's condition.
Dementia Diagnosis
Diagnosing dementia can be challenging, particularly when symptoms are mild. During a dementia diagnosis, the GP will first investigate whether the symptoms are caused by another treatable condition, such as a urinary tract infection, chest infection, constipation, thyroid deficiency, brain tumour, depression, emotional distress, or a side effect of medication.
Once other causes have been ruled out, the GP is likely to refer the individual to a specialist, such as a neuropsychologist or psychiatrist. The diagnostic process may involve:
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Conversations with the person with dementia and their close relatives.
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Cognitive testing, such as the Mini Mental State Examination.
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Brain scans.
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Physical examinations.
Once a diagnosis is achieved, we can begin to put in place specific care and support to meet your needs and requirements.
Whatever your care and support needs, we are here for you and your loved ones.