Receiving or hearing the news of an Alzheimer’s diagnosis can be a challenging, life-changing event that can bring a mixture of emotions to you or your loved ones. You may be feeling shocked or in disbelief by the news and have a sense of uncertainty about the future.
At The Good Care Group, we understand and empathise with anyone receiving an Alzheimer’s diagnosis and do our utmost to recognise the different responses that can be experienced and we will be there to help you every step of the way.
Over the last decade, we have cared for clients with different types of dementia, ranging from vascular, Lewy bodies, frontotemporal lobe and more. This article will be focussing on the support offered to families and individuals after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, as this is the most common form of dementia. This includes the process of planning care with us and what measures are implemented when creating a plan to best suit you or your loved ones needs.
Alzheimer’s support options from our team of professionals
Providing compassionate and comprehensive support to the families and the individuals with Alzheimer’s can require specialised knowledge and skills to provide appropriate care. By providing specialist Alzheimer’s care, we are dedicated to creating an understanding and compassionate environment in a number of ways:
Dementia café
A dementia café is a community-based support group that provides a safe space for individuals living with Alzheimer’s and for their caregivers. These cafes offer a range of activities ranging from arts and crafts to aid self-expression, reading books that stir memories, gentle group exercises to build confidence and baking to stimulate individual and group engagement.
At The Good Care Group, we encourage our clients to reach out to their local GP or to search ‘memory cafe near me’ on Google, as it is a great opportunity to get advice on their condition. Alzheimer’s can be isolating, and attending these cafés can bring families together to connect, build relationships and to understand experiences.
Expert advice
The Good Care Group provides specialist service if and when needed. For those living with Alzheimer’s, we have a specialist consultant nurse, Dr Jane Pritchard, who provides Admiral Nurse services to those living with a number of complex conditions, which includes Alzheimer’s and end-of-life care. Jane uses flexible and tailored solutions for all aspects of Alzheimer’s, from managing behaviours that may challenge to strengthening family relations. Jane works closely with our clients, their families and our carers, so that life-changing care can be delivered in a person-centred manner at home.
End-of-life care
Arranging end–of-life care can be challenging due to the emotional toll it can take on families and loved ones, but is a stage that may need to be considered when living with conditions such as Alzheimer’s.
We are aware that 70% of the population would prefer to pass away in the comfort of their own home, and that is why we offer high-quality palliative care services. This is delivered by following a specialised end-of-life care pathway that is highly personalised and flexible to the individual’s preferences.
One of our experienced carers will be matched to the clients’ needs, who have been trained on our palliative care training. This equips them with the skills and confidence to sensitively encourage positive conversations about the dying process as early in care planning as possible as well as delivering a plan of care that respects individuals wishes and preferences.
Planning for Alzheimer’s care
When planning Alzheimer’s care, this involves careful consideration and research to ensure that the very best care and support is delivered throughout your care journey.
At The Good Care Group, we are committed to improving well-being and quality of life and understand that few people plan care and may have less knowledge on the funding, planning and financial options available.
There are a number of funding options available that you could be eligible for when planning your care costs.
Continuing Healthcare (CHC) – For those living with very complex health care needs, this option is fully funded by the NHS and will be determined by an assessment.
Social Care Funding – If social care is required, a financial assessment will take place to see if you are eligible for funding for all or part of the cost from your local council
Benefits entitlement – Before planning care, it is worth looking into state benefits to see if you are entitled to extra financial support.
Privately funded care – if you are ineligible for the above, we work with Symonia who are respected specialists in care planning and can help you to structure your planning to remove any doubt and worry.
Once you have carried out your research on planning and costs, the next step is to get in touch with us. Rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), we will take a person-centred care approach to best understand each individual’s needs and preferences. We will tailor care to each circumstances based on the following approaches:
Comprehensive assessment
The care planning process begins with a comprehensive assessment that is conducted by one of our experienced care managers to better understand needs, preferences, abilities and challenges. We can then put a plan of action in place to deliver the best dementia support. This is achieved by listening to the individuals living with dementia as well as family and representatives in the care planning and decision making process.
Individual care plans
Once the assessment is complete, an individual care plan is developed to outline the support that is required. This helps to better understand the individual’s needs and to promote independence, making live-in care a great alternative to a care home, as a personalised care plan can be formed and tailored to that individual.
These individual care plans have proven to form stronger relationships, as it opens the opportunity for more one-on-one support to focus on important factors such as, cognitive stimulation including memory games, puzzles, and music therapy.
During these early stages of the care plan, a power of attorney (POA) should be established, while the person is still capable of making informed decisions. This will allow a trusted legal authority to make a decision on a loved one’s behalf if they lack mental capacity and no longer wish to make decisions for themselves. We will be here to offer unrivalled support during this process.
Specialist Alzheimer’s training for our carers
When our carers join The Good Care Group, it is compulsory that they attend our award-winning five-day induction programme where they are trained in dementia and Alzheimer’s care. Therefore, they are confident with the different stages of dementia, communication techniques, behavioural approaches and providing emotional support. To ensure this expert service is delivered we match our carers profiles based on the holistic needs of the client.
Structured and dementia-friendly environment
A structured routine will be developed to support individuals with their Alzheimer’s diagnosis, as having a meal plan, daily activities and medication management can help to reduce anxiety. To create a safe home environment, we have an in-house Occupational Therapist, Jackie Cooper, who provides assessment of mobility and transfer needs, falls prevention advice and assessment with recommendations for any equipment and home adaptations to encourage our clients to live a fulfilling and independent life. Examples of this include removing hazards, installing handrails or grab bars, good lighting and using signage or memory aids as this will reduce any accidents or distressing situations.
Interested in our services?
If you or your loved one is experiencing an Alzheimer’s diagnosis that requires our expert care services, we would love for you to get in touch. We have recently introduced our new part-time and full-time luxury live-in care services from £995 to offer flexibility to our clients’ needs. Interested? Please call our team on 0808 2582 787 to book your free home assessment.
