DementiaRoadmap Wales

Promoting living well with dementia across Wales

Care homes

Many people with dementia move into a care home once their dementia progresses to a certain stage. Many people with dementia have other illnesses or disabilities that make it difficult for them to remain at home.

Care homes provide either residential or nursing care. The type of home that the person requires will depend on their general health and care needs. Residential care homes provide help with personal care such as washing, dressing and eating. In some residential care homes staff have had specialist training in dementia care. Nursing homes provide personal care but also have a qualified nurse on duty 24 hours a day. Some homes that are registered for nursing care will accept people with personal care needs who may need nursing care in the future.

Selecting a care home is a very important decision and there are many issues to be considered in order to find the right home. Care homes may be arranged through the local authority but many people will arrange them independently. It is a good idea to visit several homes before making a choice.

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Resources

  • Active Minds – dementia activity resourcesFebruary 5 2016Active Minds produce a suite of activity products to assist people with dementia in leading active, engaging and fulfilling lives - enjoying activities that are meaningful to them.
  • Dementia core skills education and training frameworkOctober 29 2015This framework published by Skills for Health, Health Education England and Skills for Care sets out the essential skills and knowledge necessary for all staff involved in dementia care.
  • The Daily SparkleFebruary 5 2016The Daily Sparkle is a professionally written daily and weekly reminiscence and activity tool supported by the UK's leading care organisations such as the NHS, AgeUK and DementiaUK.
  • Fix dementia care – NHS and care homesApril 29 2016This report published by the Alzheimer's Society marks the second phase of a campaign looking at the experiences of people with dementia in a range of health and care settings. It contains the results of a survey of care home managers and the voices of people with dementia, their families and carers.
  • Moving into a care home: advice for lesbian, gay and bisexual peopleFebruary 22 2012This factsheet published by the Alzheimers Society provides some advice for lesbian, gay and bisexual people on choosing a suitable care home and suggests things to think about when the person moves in.
  • Tailored resource for carers and care providers on supporting people to live well with dementiaSeptember 16 2015This resource published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) highlights the key messages from 10 quality statements which form the quality standard for supporting people to live well with dementia and shows what they mean for carers and care providers.
  • Duty of Candour: Information for all providersMarch 15 2015This document published by the Care Quality Commission sets out how meeting the Duty of Candour regulation will be central to both registration and inspection for NHS bodies and all other care providers regulated by the CQC.
  • Cracks in the pathwayOctober 30 2014This report presents the findings of a Care Quality Commission review of the care people living with dementia receive as they moved between care homes and acute hospitals.
  • New models of care for dementiaApril 9 2012This report proposes a new understanding of the dementia journey and a revised model of care for dementia, aimed at improving experiences and outcomes, and informing service redesign and commissioning.
  • Pain in People with Dementia: A Silent TragedyJanuary 7 2015This report, published by Napp Pharmaceuticals, draws on a survey of interviews with experts, major providers of care, and on desk research. It quantifies the problem and sets out the issues in recognising, assessing and managing pain in people with dementia.
  • The £20 Billion Question – An inquiry into improving lives through cost-effective dementia servicesJuly 4 2011This report published by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Dementia (APPG) explores the the evidence for cost effective models of dementia care. It makes recommendations to focus on early intervention and prevention to reduce early entry to residential care and reduce unnecessary hospital admissions.
  • Prime Minister’s challenge on dementia 2020February 21 2015The Prime Minister recently launched the government’s five year vision for the future of dementia care, support and research, which follows on from the existing Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia, launched in March 2012.
  • Always a last resort: Inquiry into the prescription of antipsychotic drugs to people with dementia living in care homesApril 4 2008This report published by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Dementia (APPG) examines the problem of the over prescription of antipsychotic drugs to people with dementia living in care homes and proposes workables solutions.
  • Caring for someone with dementiaNovember 20 2019Caring for someone with dementia is a comprehensive booklet published by Age UK, whose network includes Age Cymru in Wales.
  • Prepared to care – Challenging the dementia skills gapJune 4 2009This report published by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Dementia (APPG) explores the scale of the challenge in training the caring professions in dementia, and how it may be met.
  • Dementia DiariesJune 4 2015Dementia Diaries is a national project that brings together people’s diverse experiences of living with dementia as a series of audio diaries.
  • QS30: Supporting people to live well with dementiaApril 3 2013This quality standard, published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), covers the care and support of people with dementia.
  • The Care Bill: factsheetsJanuary 10 2014These factsheets will help practitioners to better support patients and carers to get the care and support they need, following the changes introduced by the Care Bill, published in 2013.
  • Supporting People Team – NewportOctober 23 2019Do you need help with any housing support issues? If so, contact the Supporting People team at Newport City Council.
  • CMG48: Support for commissioning of dementia careApril 3 2013This guidance produced by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) summarises the key commissioning issues and the resource impact that will arise from implementing improvements in the quality of care for people with dementia, in line with the statements and measures that comprise the NICE quality standards for dementia.
  • Optimising treatment and care for behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementiaJuly 28 2011This best practice guide has been developed in consultation with an advisory group of leading clinicians specialising in dementia.
  • Find me good careOctober 23 2012This website developed by the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) is designed to help people find the right care and support to suit their needs and lifestyle, whether at a time of crisis or as they plan for the future.
  • Case for change – Communities for people living with dementiaNovember 28 2011This document explains the evidence that has been used in designing the service to support people with dementia, whether living at home or in care homes, as well as dementia-specific elements of other Communities.
  • State of Care 2013/14October 16 2014This report published by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) reveals wide variation in the quality and safety of care for conditions such as dementia in England.
  • Handy guide to selecting a care homeJanuary 28 2013This guide published by the Alzheimer’s Society is designed to be taken into care homes by people with dementia and their families and provides an independent and objective guide to what makes good quality care.
  • Low expectations: attitudes on choice, care and community for people with dementia in care homesFebruary 26 2013This report published by the Alzheimer’s Society stresses the need to lift expectations and to strengthen existing minimum standards to boost quality of life for people with dementia in care homes.
  • Aneurin Day CareOctober 23 2019Day Care Services providing activities for attendees and respite to carers. Specialising in Dementia Care.
  • Journey of Caring: An analysis of long-term care for dementiaSeptember 19 2013This report published by Alzheimer’s Disease International highlights the importance of helping people with dementia to remain independent and living in their own homes as part of the local community for as long as possible.
  • Dementia: Finding housing solutionsMay 7 2013This report, published by the National Housing Federation, highlights how good housing and related services can impact positively on the lives of people with dementia, from delaying more intensive forms of care to preventing admission and readmission to hospital.
  • See me, not just the dementiaJune 22 2008This report looks at the experiences of people with dementia living in care homes in England, with a particular focus on whether their care offers dignity and respect.
  • Understanding out of hospital dementia careMay 10 2011This report, published by Healthcare at Home, explores home-based models of care that will keep people with dementia out of hospital.
  • Service specification for dementia: better care at home, and in care homesJuly 28 2011This specification has been designed to support primary care in the assessment and management of people with problematic symptoms of dementia or other complex presentations living at home, in a care home or other residential setting.
  • A vision of care fit for the twenty-first centurySeptember 3 2014This report published by the Commission on Residential Care offers a vision of housing with care fit for the twenty-first century, not bound by existing definitions but based on the outcomes that people want and value.
  • NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing CareMarch 28 2019NHS Continuing Healthcare  If you have complex health and care needs, the NHS may cover the cost of all your care at home or in a care home, including the services you receive from the local council. This is called continuing healthcare and is funded ...
  • Dementia Friendly Housing CharterMarch 23 2017This toolkit aims to help professionals in their support of people living with dementia in their homes and facilitate consistency and good practice.
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