Finding the right care for a loved one living with dementia will depend on many things, not least the type of dementia and the particular stage they may be at. In this Guide to dementia care options, we look at the services that you might be able to access at home, as well as care homes with dementia services.
Hopefully your parent or relative will live well at home for many years, even if that means with increasing levels of support. But you may find they can no longer be cared for at home without specialist dementia care, or that a place in a specialist dementia care home is the best and safest option for them.
Setting up a Power of Attorney
Managing affairs, including money, property, and medical treatment, is important. One of the first things to do even before receiving a dementia diagnosis is to make sure there is a lasting power of attorney (LPA) set up.
This allows a person with dementia to state their wishes about health and financial decisions, which their appointed attorneys will follow if they are unable to decide for themselves.
Choosing the right care for a loved one with dementia is not just a big decision, but a huge responsibility. We understand this, and can help you, with all aspects of the choices you may be considering. Answer a few quick questions and we’ll guide you through the next steps.
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Caring for someone with dementia at home is about so much more than care – and not just for them. Those providing care and support also need looking after.
In the early stages, many people are able to continue to enjoy life much as they have done before their dementia diagnosis. But as symptoms get worse you may find your relative becoming more anxious and scared at not being able to remember things, follow conversations or concentrate. There may well be other behaviours, too, which can be very distressing for everyone.
Much of the advice given by professionals is based around keeping things in the home calm, consistent and simple to try and reduce, or at least mitigate, the agitation and confusion. There is a great deal of excellent help and advice at Dementia UK.
Some other key areas you may wish to know more about include:
- Help with eating – top tips for helping someone with dementia to eat more.
- Help with sleeping – our comprehensive article on how to help someone living with dementia get a better night’s sleep will steer you in the right direction.
- The Herbert Protocol – a very useful policy and process adopted by many police forces to help if someone with dementia goes missing.
- Making a home dementia friendly – there are many things you can do around the home to make it safer and more comfortable.
- Keeping parents safe at home – personal alarms and in-home monitors help keep them safe.
- Our Home Care Finder lets you search for local providers by postcode.
Our guide to the UK's Best Live-in Care Companies includes information about each live-in care provider's latest CQC rating.
Admiral Nurses - support for families
A brilliant resource provided by Dementia UK is Admiral Nurses. They are registered nurses and experts in dementia care who work in the community, care homes and hospices.
They give practical, clinical and emotional support to families living with dementia to improve their quality of life and help them cope.
To talk to an Admiral Nurse, call Admiral Nursing Direct on 0800 888 6678. The helpline is open seven days a week, from 9am to 5pm, as well as from 6pm to 9pm on Wednesday and Thursday.
The helpline is a free service for carers, people with dementia and health and social care professionals.
Support online - websites and forums
Communication is key. Online forums are a very helpful way to share your experiences of caring for someone with dementia, as well as reading how other people manage situations and concerns. If there’s something you are struggling with, the chances are that someone else has had the same experience.
Talking Point is the Alzheimer’s Society’s forum. It has people with dementia sharing their information and advice, and supporting each other.
Carers can also turn to online communities on the Carers UK forum and the ones listed on Carers Trust.
Keeping active when living with dementia
Activities and support are important in helping people to live well with dementia, such as “memory cafes”, dementia friendly film screenings, theatre productions, singing groups, walking groups, day care centres and more.
There are several dementia charities that can offer excellent advice and support.
Dementia UK is a national charity that aims to improve the quality of life for people with dementia. Through its helpline and its extensive website, Dementia UK offers advice and support to families who are living with dementia. Dementia UK and its Admiral Nurses also provide training for professionals who work with people with dementia.
The Alzheimer’s Society website contains essential information on dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, including how to live well with the disease and how to find help near you.
If you are looking after someone with dementia, it’s important that you know how to get help and support for yourself as well.
Holidays and dementia respite care
Caring for someone living with dementia is exhausting mentally and physically, so respite care is vital. Whether that be regular time away during the week, or longer breaks on holiday, there are many options, for both the carer and the person with dementia.
Care homes and home care providers can provide respite care breaks on a short term basis.
Keeping people with dementia active and meeting others can have very positive effects in the management of their condition.
One great way to meet others is via local dementia “memory cafes”. These drop-in centres are run by volunteers and allow people with dementia and their carers to find advice and support from others who share the experience.
Check out Dementia Connect for information about the cafes and other local activities. If you want to do something more active, like going for days out and perhaps even take a short break, but are worried about managing the person with dementia’s needs, there are organisations to help.
For instance, Dementia Adventure offers outings and short breaks, such as barge sailing and woodland walks, designed for people living with dementia and their carers to enjoy together.
Consider additional help with care
Home care and live-in care for people with dementia
If you find that your relative needs more consistent help and support at home from paid carers, there are homecare providers and agencies that will be able to help you find the right person or people, whether that be day care or live-in dementia care.
Care homes with dementia care services
When should someone living with dementia go into a care home? It could be because they need specialist help and care that can only be given in a care home setting, or it could be there is a change of circumstance at home and they can no longer live there safely and well.
If your parent or relative is no longer able to make their own decisions and if you or someone else has Power of Attorney, then you will need to make this decision on their behalf. Considerations about a care home include:
- Type of care home: a nursing home provides medical/nursing care whilst a residential home provides care and support but not nursing care. You will need to consider the availability of specialist dementia care services, the qualifications and experience of the staff, along with activities and other services available.
- Location of care home: should it be close to their home, friends and community, or perhaps closer to you as closest relatives.
- Care home costs: dementia care is expensive – in the region of £1,800 per week. There may be funding available from the NHS in the form of nursing care costs or, in some circumstances, NHS Continuing Care,but this is based on underlying health issues and a diagnosis of dementia alone will not be sufficient to trigger this funding.
Advocating for people with dementia in care homes
Advocating on behalf of care home residents with dementia was very important during the pandemic. There are a couple of excellent organisations that you might consider joining to help ensure that the rights of your relative can be protected in a care home.
For instance, Johnscampaign.org.uk and Care Rights UK are both very useful organisations if you are concerned.
Other important dementia care steps
Getting a dementia diagnosis
Dementia in the early stages can be hard to diagnose. The first port of call should be the GP, to carry out initial cognitive assessments and/or refer your parent or relative to a memory clinic. Tests may include a mini-mental state examination (MMSE), blood tests (to rule out other conditions), or brain scans, such as an MRI.
A diagnosis of dementia is critical, so that you know what type of dementia you are actually dealing with, and to inform the types of care your parent may need, both short and longer term. It will enable you to plan for the future, even if that future is a while away yet.
A care assessment for dementia care options
Once you have a diagnosis, getting a care assessment from the local authority is the next step. This will determine what kind of care your parent needs (washing, dressing, food preparation etc.), and importantly, with an associated financial assessment, how it will be funded. If your parent has more than £23,250 in assets (savings and cash, excluding the home) then currently they will be paying for all their own care. If their savings and cash fall below this threshold, the local authority will pay some or all the costs.
Alongside a care assessment, a carer’s assessment should also be carried if you or a spouse/partner are their primary carer. This will also determine any carer funding available as well as other support such as respite care.
Funding dementia care
Unfortunately, dementia care in your own home or in other settings is not free, unlike other diseases or illnesses. If your parent is funding their own care, then you should endeavour to start to make plans for how care will be paid for long-term, should it be necessary.
First of all, it is really worth ensuring that your parents are receiving all the state benefits and funding available to them.
There are some options to consider, including NHS Continuing Healthcare. This is care paid for by the NHS and will cover all care costs. However, it is based upon a primary healthcare need, and a diagnosis of dementia alone will not suffice.
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This article has been written using information from trusted organisations. Their guidance helps ensure the information here is accurate and reflects current UK law and best practice.
- World Health Organisation, Dementia, March 2025.
- National Library of Medicine, Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms in Dementia, February 2024.
- NHS, Activities for dementia, July 2023.
- NHS, What are the treatments for dementia, July 2023.
- NHS, What to do if you've just been diagnosed with dementia, July 2023.
- National Library of Medicine, Major Neurocognitive Disorder (Dementia), November 2022.
What to do next
It can be extremely stressful tackling dementia care. Here are some practical steps you can take.
- Keep the mind and body healthy and active. There are lots of local support groups, charities, and activities for people living with dementia.
- Get a care assessment from the local authority. This will determine what kind of care is needed (washing, dressing, food preparation etc.), and, with an associated financial assessment, how it will be funded.
- It is important to get legal affairs in order, such as lasting power of attorney (a legal document that allows someone else to make decisions on your behalf), which will make future care much easier to manage.
- Make a residence dementia friendly, as there are many things you can do around the home to make it safer and more comfortable.
- To help better support someone living with dementia, take a look at some dementia living aids that can help living with the disease easier.
- Consider live-in care if a relative needs consistent help. There are homecare providers and agencies that will be able to help you find the right person or people.
Dementia communication | Read about Age Space founder Annabel James’ experience with dementia care, such as how to interact with your loved ones.
