Specialist dementia care turns people’s lives around

Local home care company, Right at Home GF, is turning around the lives of clients living with dementia, thanks to its unique dementia support programme.

“Providing the right care to people with dementia can make a real difference to their lives. Caring for a loved one with dementia can be very challenging but we see time and again how training for family care givers along with professional care designed around the individual can help people with dementia live well at home for longer while maintaining positive connections with family. There are over 3,200 people living with dementia in South West Surrey and Guildford so this is an important issue for local people,” says Alastair Shanks, Managing Director of Right at Home GF.

Mr Shanks explains how the home care company provides the right care for clients: “Using our unique approach, our CareGivers design care plans around each client to encourage their abilities, focussing on minimising the symptoms of dementia and further cognitive decline. We use a scientifically validated assessment tool to identify clients’ abilities and find meaningful activities to support them and keep them stimulated. It is important to emphasise that there is no cure for dementia but getting the right care in place helps people live better for longer.”

Mr Shanks adds that Right at Home’s tailored dementia care can benefit all clients experiencing dementia, even those where symptoms are very advanced: “Unlike traditional support programmes, we believe that all clients, regardless of the severity or progression of their dementia, have the ability to interact and connect with their surroundings. That is the basis of our programme and we see its benefits realised in the lives of our clients.”

Dementia support is integrated into the way Right at Home GF delivers its care for all clients, including those with and without dementia. “We have a great initiative called Magic Moments where our CareGivers look for ways to enhance clients’ lives, often through a fun activity or visit. This is often about rediscovering a lost hobby or celebrating a former interest. For clients with dementia, this can be especially stimulating and is a great example of how we work with people’s abilities rather than focusing on what may be lost. We are only able to provide this initiative because we take time to get to know all our clients.”

Recent examples of magic moments include taking a client fishing, going to a bikers’ meet-up (for a former motorbike enthusiast) and even going ice skating.  

It takes time for our CareGivers to gain the confidence of their clients and their families but compassion and patience pay dividends and Right at Home witnesses successes: “It might be that a client takes his medication regularly or gains enough confidence to be taken to the shops to do some grocery shopping. These things are terribly important; they benefit the client and provide reassurance to the family,” says Mr Shanks.

Right at Home GF’s dementia support programme is the cornerstone of its care for clients experiencing dementia and it sees this as an area that is likely to be in greater demand in future. The last census showed an increase of 15% of the population in Surrey aged 80 and over while Alzheimer’s Research UK says that people with dementia tend to want to stay living in their own homes and to retain as much independence as they can. With an ageing population, dementia care is set to be a major challenge for Surrey’s families and care services.

Right at Home GF provides a range of home care services for adults of all ages, ranging from companionship and help with everyday tasks such as cooking and cleaning, to live-in specialist care.