Want to know what is dementia care and how to recognise good dementia care homes near me? This article explains the different types of dementia support available, including care homes with nursing and dementia.
Page contents
At A Glance
Dementia care supports people with various types of cognitive decline by providing personalised, safe and structured daily assistance.
Good dementia care focuses on person-centred support, trained staff, dementia-friendly environments and meaningful therapeutic activities.
High-quality care homes encourage strong family involvement, good nutrition, compassionate communication and clear routines to reduce anxiety.
Choosing the right dementia care home improves wellbeing, independence and quality of life, supported by reviews and regulator reports.
What is dementia care?
Dementia care is designed for people living with Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) (an umbrella term for several different types of dementia occurring in the frontal lobe or temporal lobe in the brain) and other rare types of dementia.
Nearly three-quarters of care home residents have dementia or severe memory problems, according to the Alzheimer’s Society.
High quality dementia care can provide the right support to suit whatever dementia symptoms and stage of dementia you or your family member is experiencing.
If you are looking for care homes with nursing and dementia, you should know that good dementia care focuses on:
1. Personalised Support
Every person’s dementia experience is unique.
Effective dementia care starts with a detailed understanding of the individual, their likes, dislikes, care needs etc.
2. Safety and Supervision
People with dementia may experience symptoms such as memory loss, confusion, wandering, anxiety or reduced judgement.
Dementia care settings are designed to be safe, secure and easy to navigate, helping residents maintain independence while preventing accidents.
3. Help with Routine activities
Carers support with bathing, dressing, medication, eating, mobility and other daily tasks. The aim is to promote dignity and autonomy wherever possible.
4. Cognitive and Emotional support
Activities, therapies and social interaction are central to dementia care.
These may include reminiscence therapy, exercise groups and activities tailored to an individual’s abilities.
5. Compassionate Communication
Care staff are trained to communicate calmly, clearly and empathetically. This is essential for reducing anxiety and helping residents feel understood.
What does good dementia care near me look like?
Good care can make a huge difference to a person’s quality of life, wellbeing and independence.
Looking for these key elements in a care home will help you identify high-quality dementia care.
1. Person-centred care
Good dementia care puts the person before the condition.
- The person’s life story, preferences, abilities, interests, routines, emotional and physical needs, medication and important people in their life should be included in a care home’s care plan.
- Carers know residents by name, understand their history and involve families in care planning.
- You should see staff interacting kindly, patiently and respectfully.
2. Dementia training
- Care home staff should receive ongoing, regular dementia training.
- This includes managing challenging behaviours, understanding memory loss and using techniques that support a care home resident’s independence.
3. Dementia-friendly environment
A dementia-friendly care home design brings clarity, calmness and comfort to people with dementia.
It adapts the care home environment to reduce confusion, stress, anxiety and hazards for those living with dementia.
Some people living with dementia can have problems remembering where their room is in a care home. If all the bedroom doors look the same, the corridors lack obvious landmarks and use inadequate lighting, people with dementia can get extremely anxious and stressed.
Dementia-friendly design:
- Clear signs. Care homes often use signs on cupboards and doors so the residents living with dementia can navigate around easily.
- Photos on cupboard doors. Some care homes do this to show the residents what is inside them. For example, in the kitchen, there could be a photo of cups on the cupboard that contain these.
- Colour coded areas. Dividing corridors up with distinctive colours by painting the doors and skirting boards helps keep people on the right path. It also confirms which department or area of the building they are in. Some care homes have been known to paint bedroom doors different colours.
- Different coloured grab rails. Light switches and grab rails in the showers and toilets should be different colours to the walls. This will make them easier to see.
- Easily accessible communal rooms.
- Safe outdoor spaces.
- Limit use of mirrors. Care homes can be designed without the use of mirrors in the bedrooms, bathrooms and communal areas. This is because some residents may not recognise their own reflection and will think there is a stranger in their room while others may become frustrated by the reflection.
- No flecked, striped or patterned carpets. These can cause confusion for somebody living with dementia and can cause hallucinations.
- Dementia-friendly colours. Some care homes use primary colours (red, yellow and blue) which are recognised for longer by people as their dementia progresses.
4. Therapeutic dementia activities
Residents should have access to regular, stimulating activities suited to different stages of dementia. Therapies that support care homes with nursing and dementia include Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST), which can involve group activities that can keep people socially engaged and mentally stimulated.
Examples of good dementia care includes:
- Music sessions Music can be used to improve people’s mood and behaviour as well as stimulating the brain and reducing anxiety. Music can also evoke memories and emotions. Many care homes use singing and music sessions to help people with dementia connect and unlock memories.
- Reminiscence therapy This therapy encourages people to talk about events and experiences that happened in their past. Memories can be evoked by music, photos, objects, video footage and stories to improve mood & communication. Memory boxes are filled with personal, memorable objects to help spark meaningful conversation, retain a sense of identity. This is also particularly useful for staff in the care home to get to know the person. The items in the memory box should trigger a range of good strong emotions.
- Animal or Robotic pet therapy Interaction with animals, including stroking, can reduce anxiety in people with dementia as it is a calming activity. These sensory experiences can also boost mood and communication. They may also trigger reminiscence in people who had pets before they lived in the care home. Some care homes use robotic pets instead of real animals. Robotic pets can respond to touch by purring or barking and wagging their tails.
- Doll therapy Use of therapy dolls. Life-like dementia dolls can provide people with dementia with something to care for. The dolls can trigger nurturing instincts in a person with dementia. This can have powerful impact on their wellbeing as they form an emotional bond with the doll.
- Physical exercise Regular exercise can improve mood and may slow decline.
- Intergenerational activities Children can have a very beneficial effect on people living with dementia. Children from a local nursery or school may be invited with nursery/school staff to a care home to take part in activities with older residents such as arts and crafts.
5. Strong family involvement
- Care homes that provide the best dementia care encourage open communication with relatives.
Families of care home residents should be:
- Welcomed for visits.
- Asked for input.
- Kept fully informed of any changes.
6. Good nutrition and hydration support
Dementia can affect appetite and your ability to eat independently, therefore good dementia care involves:
- Nutritious, appealing meals.
- Help with feeding, if needed.
- Monitoring of a person’s weight and hydration.
- Creating a calm, friendly dining atmosphere.
- Cutlery can become more difficult to use as the person with dementia loses their coordination skills. Care homes may have adapted cutlery and plate guards which will reduce spillages.
7. Non-uniform sleepwear for care staff
Sundowning is a symptom of different types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. It describes changes in behaviour that typically occur around late afternoon or early evening and last until night time.
A person living with dementia may become confused, agitated, anxious or aggressive. They may not realise it is time to sleep as they can lose track of time.
- To help care home residents with dementia, some care home staff wear nightwear such as pyjamas and dressing gowns to indicate it is time to sleep.
8. Positive reviews and care inspection reports
Feedback from families and residents is one of the best indicators of quality. On carehome.co.uk, you can read verified reviews for thousands of UK care homes and check out care homes’ care regulator inspection reports.
Why does finding the right dementia care home near me matter?
The right dementia care home can significantly improve a person’s comfort, happiness and quality of life.
It also offers peace of mind for families, knowing their loved one is safe, supported and valued.
One of care options available to someone with advanced dementia or cognitive decline, is an EMI care home. EMI care refers to people living with advanced dementia.
Care homes can be registered using widely-accepted terms such as ‘dementia residential care’. They are also described as ‘care homes with nursing and dementia’, care homes with a ‘dementia unit’ or supporting ‘advanced dementia’.
If you’re wondering how to find dementia care homes near me, you can compare dementia care homes across the UK, read independent reviews and see regulator ratings on carehome.co.uk.