Sometimes, the best way to understand how dementia live in care works, and how it directly benefit residents, is to understand exactly how these carers spend their days. 

That’s why we’ve created this day in the life guide, following the routine of one of our dementia live in carers to understand exactly how their role interacts with the routine of their charge. First up, the wake up routine.  

Morning routine

Living with someone who suffers from dementia means that every day brings with it new challenges and new potential upsets – whether that be in forgetting where they are, who they’re with, or what they do in the mornings.

I often find that the best way to start the day is with the familiarity of a breakfast they know and recognise  whether picked up from their own existing habits or from the feedback of loved ones. Waking up surrounded by photos of their family members and friends is another thing that can help to ground individuals, especially those in the earlier stages of dementia. This does however depend on the individual and how their condition is progressing. 

Time spent in familiar surroundings

The best thing you can do for an individual living with dementia is to surround them with things that they remember and that make them feel calm and at ease. For many, the mere comfort of their own home is enough to keep them calm and feeling good – while for others it can help to play music or ensure that there are certain things playing on the television or radio that ground them. 

I try to remind them about things they like to do at certain times of the day, such as watching the news or looking ahead to visits from family later that day or later in the week. This, again, strikes a note of familiarity and gives them something to look forward to.  

Working through challenging days and situations

If we wake up to a bad day, there are things that we can do as live in carers to help the individual to process their situation. One of the major benefits of live in care is that the individual in need of care comes to see their carer as a friend – which can make difficult conversations easier. Similarly, live in care is an easy solution for families who want to visit regularly.

As a team, we go through specialist training to deal with the unprecedented challenges of dementia live in care. Whether the individual we’re looking after wants someone to chat to, someone to help around the home, or simply someone to put the kettle on for an 11am cup of tea, our job is controlled by the person who needs us most.

Find out more about our dementia live in care services, or speak directly with a member of the Ivy Palmer team, by getting in touch today.