Dementia: Understanding and Supporting Cognitive Decline

"Memories May Fade, but Care Never Does"

A caregiver shares a meaningful moment with a client living with dementia, using photo albums to spark connection and comfort at home.

Understanding Dementia: Homecare Strategies for Cognitive Decline

 Learn how homecare supports elderly clients living with dementia and helps maintain their safety, dignity, and independence.

When memories begin to blur and confusion becomes daily life, care must shift from routine to relationship and from task to trust.

Dementia affects nearly 1 in 11 people over 65 in the UK. It’s not a specific disease but a term for impaired memory, reasoning, and communication caused by conditions like Alzheimer’s or vascular dementia. For families, watching a loved one decline can be heartbreaking but the right homecare can ease that journey. This article explores what dementia is, how it presents, and how personalised homecare can slow progression and provide support that truly makes a difference.

• What is Dementia?

  • Group of symptoms including memory loss, confusion, language difficulties, and personality changes.

  • Most common types: Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia.

• Early Warning Signs:

  • Repeating questions, getting lost in familiar places, difficulty following conversations, misplacing items, mood swings.

• Progression and Care Needs:

  • Early stage: reminders and companionship

  • Middle stage: personal care, meal assistance, managing mood or anxiety

  • Late stage: full support with bathing, dressing, toileting, and safety monitoring

• Prevention & Maintenance Strategies:

  • Brain-stimulating activities: puzzles, music, photo albums

  • Routine and reassurance to reduce confusion

  • Healthy diet, hydration, and physical activity

  • Medication management (e.g. donepezil, rivastigmine)

Example: Mrs. J, 84, began wandering at night and becoming distressed. DICTRA created a bespoke care schedule with two daily visits, medication support, and evening calming routines including a warm bath, herbal tea, and music therapy. Over time, her agitation reduced and she became more engaged in morning activities.

Dementia is a journey, not a sentence. With tailored homecare, your loved one can experience comfort, consistency, and connection even as memories fade.

Do you have a loved one living with dementia? Speak with DICTRA today about our person-centred homecare solutions.