Dementia Care

A growing challenge

In the absence of a cure for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, the demand for care and support for those living with dementia is anticipated to grow significantly. There are approximately 800,000 people in the UK living with dementia, and more will be undiagnosed, a number which is predicted to double in the next 20 years. Twice as many women are affected as men, and the majority are over the age of 65, with c70% over 80.

Personalised dementia care

We are committed to meeting all the relevant objectives laid out in the National Dementia Strategy including providing good quality intermittent care for people with dementia, the provision of in-home care with support from assistive technologies and providing very informed and effective professional carers.

One of the most common feelings amongst relatives of someone suffering from dementia is that they are losing the person; our dementia care and support aims to slow this process by focusing on past memories still well stored and using them to build a ‘bridge’ to the current day, thus helping the family stay connected to the person they knew and loved, by making a ‘present’ of the ‘past’.

We believe that the ability to care for a client on a one-to-one basis, completely tailored to their life, in the comfort and familiarity of their own home, makes our care at home particularly suitable for people living with dementia.   We have a wealth of expertise in managing the challenges presented by dementia and provide support for the whole family.

The Good Care Group’s marketing-leading dementia care programme is based on best practice techniques and latest thinking in the field of dementia research.  Central to this programme  is the introduction and adoption of the SPECAL method through collaboration with the Contented Dementia Trust.

The SPECAL method incorporates a number of core tools and best practice techniques including:

  • SPECAL Observation Tracking, derived from Dementia Care Mapping
  • Validation Therapy
  • Life History Work
  • Distraction Techniques
  • Orientation Strategies
  • Communication Skills
  • Reminiscence Therapy

The dementia care delivered by our specialist professional carers aims to promote a sustainable sense of well-being in our clients.

The Contented Dementia Trust defines the well-being of every person, regardless of medical condition, as dependent on:

  • A sense of personal worth: feeling good about oneself, that one has something to offer others
  • A feeling of being in control and being able to make decisions which are carried out
  • A sense of belonging and comfortable interaction with those around them be they family, friends or professionals
  • Trust in us and a confidence that everything will be alright

Our dementia care programme focuses on ensuring optimum health and wellbeing through effective nutritional support and managing the risk of falling and secondary infections, common issues for those living with dementia.