Dementia is a terrible illness, with Alzheimer’s being the most widely recognised and publicised form of the disease. It is a terrible realisation for your loved ones if they develop some form of dementia. As the disease progresses, it is simply not possible to leave sufferers unattended, which is when good home care services are badly needed.
The Various Forms Of Domestic Home Care Available
There are various forms of domestic care available for those with dementia, and they include:
• Home visits every hour
• Round-the-clock live-in care
• Home care during the night
• Home care that offers carers a respite
• Group workshops for patients and carers
Depending on the severity or stage of the illness, relatives or close friends can choose the form of home care that is most appropriate. Sometimes it may be a mixture of care types, and in many instances, people choose to progress the nature of the care as the illness worsens.
The home care UK situation is better than in some countries, but it is still badly underserved when it comes down to the quality of care. This means doing your research carefully and thoroughly is very important to ensure you find that right kind of care.
2 million people forecast to suffer from dementia by 2051.
More than 850,000 people suffer from some form of dementia here in the UK, and the number is forecast to rise to over 1 million by 2025, and 2 million by 2051. It’s a frightening prospect. It is often harder on family and friends than it is on the victims, as memory loss progresses to the point where they are no longer recognisable.
Hospital Care Is Improving
The good news is that according to a recent survey undertaken by the Alzheimer’s Organisation, important improvements have been made to dementia care in hospitals across England and Wales; but more support is still badly needed.
The survey acknowledges that an increasing number of hospitals are becoming more dementia friendly, with 70% of carers rating care standards as excellent or very good, and 75% of carers reporting that in their opinion, dementia sufferers were treated respectfully by staff. More and more people turning to private home care for dementia sufferers.
There are still many failings in the system, however, with 19% of staff saying that many dementia sufferers’ nutritional needs were not being met, either not often enough or in some cases, not at all.
It’s terrible to think that a loved one with dementia may be being denied something as basic as appropriate nutrition, and this is why many more people are turning to private home care from domestic care providers they believe they can trust.