Support and care for people with dementia at home: A guide for homecare workers

This publication - Support and care for people with dementia at home: A guide for homecare workers - from Alzheimer's Society in association with UK Homecare Association provides homecare workers with comprehensive advice and information on all aspects of dementia care in order to help them support people with dementia. The guide brings together specialist dementia knowledge from Alzheimer's Society and the UKHCA's experience of issues affecting homecare staff.

Almost two-thirds of people with dementia live at home. For many, the support of a homecare worker enables them to remain as independent as possible and stay in familiar surroundings. A homecare worker is very important to someone with dementia who is living at home, and in many cases, alone.

The guide provides information about the different stages of dementia, as well as tips and advice about practical tasks. Homecare workers have a regular link to the person and may spot any changes in the person's health or well-being. They have an opportunity to get to know someone and understand their likes, routines and preferences in order to provide person-centred care and support the person to do things for themselves wherever possible.

Emphasis in the book is on practical guidance and includes washing and bathing, eating and drinking as well as communication and understanding the person with dementia. Strategies for success are given for specific situations and there are also chapters on recognising pain and dealing with challenging behaviour, topics that homecare workers identified as a particular training need in Alzheimer's Society's Support. Stay. Save. report.