Supporting people with dementia living in a care home
Supporting people with dementia living in a care home
Key messages:
- There is evidence that in-reach support from mental health services can significantly reduce levels of depression in those living with dementia. In-reach support does not appear to help those experiencing other symptoms such as anxiety, agitation or hallucinations.
- Factors such as a ‘homelike’ environment and garden, person-focussed support and participation in meaningful activities can support wellbeing and lead to more positive behaviour for care home residents.
- Training for staff supporting people in these settings needs to be accompanied with joint working, supervision and longer-term support to ensure effectiveness.
Reflective questions:
For practitioners:
- How does your organisation ensure that people living in care homes with dementia receive person centred support?
- What examples have you seen of good person-centred support in care homes?
For commissioners of services.
- How do you ensure that staff working in care homes receive the appropriate training and support to work in a person-centred way with people with dementia?
