Dementia is a general term for a loss of memory, language, thinking, and problem-solving skills which are brought on by Alzheimer’s and can greatly impact a person’s daily life as it progresses. In the early stages of dementia, a person can quite comfortably look after themselves in some cases. As the illness progresses there will need to be input from family, friends or carers. From here there will need to be a decision made based on the capabilities of the family and friends and the safety of their loved one on whether it is time to progress to full-time residential care.
Who Should Make the Decision?
If the person needing care is experiencing the early stages of dementia, then they may be aware enough to make the decision for themselves to go into full-time care or start making plans. This decision should be respected and those closest should be on hand to assist them with choosing the best place or type of care for them.
At this stage, respite care can be beneficial to ease into full-time care; respite care is short term and can help your loved one get an idea of what the home they are looking at is like, and it also eases stresses for the family and friends.
Alternatively, if your loved one is at the stage where they are unable to make this kind of decision for themselves then this often falls to the person’s attorney under a Health and Welfare Lasting Power of Attorney. This person can make care decisions with the person in question’s best interests at heart. Other members of the family and social circle can challenge these decisions though. If the person doesn’t have an official attorney, then the decision falls to healthcare professionals and those close with the person to assess the situation and come to a decision.
When Should you Start Considering Full-Time Care?
If you are in the position where the outcome of whether your loved one with dementia moves to a care home or not, then there are many points you’ll want to think over. The best interests of the individual are of course the most important thing to consider, as well as how much time you and the rest of their family and circle have to dedicate to their care. As mentioned before, respite care can be a great intermediate step to ease into full time care at whatever speed works for the individual. Respite care can be for a day at a time or for longer periods; however, it may be disorientating to move several times, and it may be better for the person to only have to settle in a new home once instead of going back and forth, which entirely depends on the person.
Pros and cons for everyone involved
When making the decision you will need to weigh up the pros and cons for the person suffering with dementia and the people around them. They should be able to give as much input as possible into what they want and what they think is best for themselves, depending on the severity of the dementia. So for someone with prevalent dementia a pro of going to a care home could be safety through supervision and socialisation whenever wanted, however they may feel like they have a loss of independence. It is good to talk through these thoughts to come to a conclusion.
Supervision requirements
You need to assess if the person needs or is likely to need full-time dementia care in the near future; it can be hard to offer this in the home and people with dementia may cause harm to themselves if left unsupervised. When left to the family to provide this level of care it can become stressful and hard to manage. A care home is a good way of ensuring 24/7 care if needed. At Little Croft Care Home, the care is based around the individual, and we aim to give as much independence to a person as we can, while keeping them safe.
Getting the right nutrition
You will need to ask yourself if your loved one with dementia is eating well. Even with constant care from the family it can be hard to ensure your loved one is eating three balanced and nutritious meals a day. It is extremely important at all ages to be getting enough vitamins, but even more so for older people as lack of vitamins and minerals can more easily result in illness or injury.
Being self-sufficient
Although your loved one doesn’t need to be fully self-sufficient if they have family and carers around to help, it is beneficial to be able to do things for themselves. If getting out of bed or maintaining a hygiene routine starts to become a difficulty then it may be time to look into alternative care.
Safe Environment
As dementia progresses it becomes more and more important for the person in question to be in a safe and comfortable environment. Stairs, clutter and table corners can become a hazard with time. There are also unseen issues such as maintaining a healthy temperature and not being subjected to dampness. With the memory loss that comes with dementia the risk of leaving appliances on should also be considered. In a care home you can be confident that your loved one is in a safe, clean and warm environment.
Deciding whether or not a loved one with dementia should go to a care home can be a challenging decision and not one to be taken lightly. It’s important to do what’s best for your loved one. If you would like to speak to a member of our team about the options available then please get in touch!