Dementia is a word used to describe a group of symptoms that occur when brain cells stop working properly. Dementia is a chronic or persistent disorder of the mental processes caused by brain disease or injury and marked by memory disorders, personality change and impaired reasoning.
Living with dementia brings a whole new range of challenges both for the sufferer and the carer which are ever-changing both in variety and severity.
Ensuring your care home or nursing home offers the best facilities for those with cognitive and visual impairment needs careful planning and thought.
Inability to recognise everyday items, confusion by sudden changes in colours, disorientation from patterns and distress from feeling ‘lost’ in featureless environments are just some of the frightening events endured by those with dementia.
Choosing the most appropriate furniture, fittings, signage and equipment is therefore vital to reduce such instances of distress and disorientation.
Please take a look at this excellent advice from the Alzeimers Society on considerations for dementia care home environments:
https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/download/downloads/id/2796/making_your_home_dementia_friendly.pdf
Eating and Drinking in the Dementia environment
Living with dementia can mean a slow deterioration in cognitive awareness including progressive visual impairment. Research has shown contrasting colours can help differentiate and identify food and aid eating and drinking independence.
Signage
A care or nursing home can be a very challenging and frustrating environment for a dementia sufferer and clear, shaped signage with yesteryear pictures will significantly reduce incidents of residents being ‘lost’ or confused. Signs are available for all communal rooms and can be personalised and made to suit your particular environment and budget.
Memory Boxes
The Memory Box is a secure, personal display cabinet for the safe-keeping of recognisable, personal memorabilia. Used extensively in care homes, they have proved a practical and attractive tool. Typically they are located outside a resident’s room
At present there is no cure for Dementia. There are however drugs and products that can be used the help alleviate the symptoms and help sufferers cope with daily life. We have included below a dedicated and ever expanding selection of products available from Andway Healthcare. Something you particularly require but can't see on our site? Please call us on 01423 331000.
