Talk to a real person | 1300 008 018 Business Opportunity Jobs & Careers Contact
Home Senior Care Resources Dementia Information Hub

Dementia Information & Resource Hub

Resources to help you understand more about dementia and how to help your loved one live well with the condition.

Understanding Dementia

In Australia, nearly 500,000 people are living with a form of dementia and over 1.5 million people are caring for someone living with the condition. We know that receiving a diagnosis of dementia can be difficult and emotional not only for the person receiving the diagnosis but also for their loved ones. 

For someone living with dementia, particularly in the early and mid-stages of the condition, there really is no place like home. Being in a familiar environment helps prevent confusion and disorientation, which helps the person to feel safe and secure as well as enables them to maintain their independence with the highest quality of life. 

If you are living with dementia or supporting a loved one with this, it is important to understand about the condition so that you are empowered to make informed decisions.

Home Instead are committed to educating individuals, families, carers and the communities we support with information about the support available to them. This guide contains a variety of resources to help you understand more about dementia and to guide you through your dementia journey. It will also provide tips for supporting someone with dementia including how they can live well with dementia.

Dementia Care: A Guide for Carers & Families

Home Instead has developed a guide that supports families and carers, providing them with a better understanding of dementia, the various types, stages and progression of the disease. It shares a range of practical strategies, tools, techniques, and activities to use when caring for a loved one living with dementia at home.

The guide has been developed to help people caring for those with dementia, it:
• Explains what dementia is and how it may affect people.
• Suggests ways a carer can provide practical support.
• Provides tips for communication and activities specific to supporting people with dementia.
• Includes information about where to find additional resources for carers.

Caring for Dementia At Home

For someone living with dementia, particularly in the early and mid-stages of the condition, there really is no place like home. Being in a familiar environment helps prevent confusion and disorientation, which helps the person to feel safe and secure as well as enables them to maintain their independence with the highest quality of life.  Read more here.

Dementia: Spotting the Signs and the Importance of an Early Diagnosis 

There is no cure for dementia, but treatment options are many and varied, and can include drug and non-drug therapies that may help improve your cognition and maximise or boost your quality of life. Read more here.

Communicating with Someone Who Has Dementia

Changing the way you communicate with a loved one does take some time, but your efforts will show that you care. By trying out some of these tips, you are helping your loved one to feel a sense of control and self-worth. Read more here.

Engagement Activities for your Loved One Living with Dementia

By trying different activities, you’ll hopefully discover what activities the person living with dementia really enjoys and will provide a basis for activities that you can undertake together in the future. Read more here.

In this compilation of dementia case studies, you can understand more about the dementia care we provide which not only helps the person living with dementia to remain living as independently as possible in their own home, but also provides valuable respite for their families too.

Ric:

Ric has advanced dementia and has had the same CAREGiver visiting for over 5 years. Discover how we provide 24-hour care to ensure Ric’s safety at home and to provide companionship throughout the day.

Robyn and Donald:

Donald has Alzheimer’s and lives with his wife, Robyn, who has Parkinson’s Disease. Donald has companionship visits which provides respite for Robyn and enables her to do the weekly shopping knowing that Donald is safe at home.

Living Well with Dementia at Home:

Dementia may affect a person’s perception of their home environment and may alter their ability to maintain daily routines and tasks. By making a few adaptations around the home, it can help individuals to continue living independently at home. Read our guide to discover some of the ways you can make your home more dementia-friendly: A Dementia-friendly Environment Guide

Dementia-friendly Activities:

We have created a guide to activities that family members, friends or CAREGivers who are supporting someone living with dementia can do together. This can help the person with dementia to feel engaged and participate in meaningful activities that provide mental stimulation. Read guide here: Dementia-friendly Activities Booklet

Home Care Provider Checklist:

It can be difficult choosing a home care provider and not all providers offer the same services or CAREGiver checks etc. Providers also share different information which can make it difficult to compare and ensure that you or your loved one is receiving the best possible care. Our handy checklist can help you compare providers and ensure you are choosing the best care tailored to your specific needs: Home Care Provider Checklist & Guide

Locations
Find Home Care

IMMERSIVE TRAINING AVAILABLE

‘Caring for the Carer’ Training Sessons for Family & Friends. Home Instead will open the doors of our State Training Centres for free exclusive information sessions designed to support family and friends of our clients living with a cognitive decline, such as Dementia.

This will be a free information session that will empower you with the knowledge and skills to provide meaningful and empathetic care to further support your loved one. This session will be delivered by our team of qualified and trusted trainers with a program tailored to support family carers.

Topics covered will include:
– How to communicate effectively with a person living with dementia
– The benefits of person-centred care and maintaining quality of life
– The importance of self-care
– How to recognise the signs of compassion fatigue

REGISTER FOR DEMENTIA TRAINING SESSION

Supporting Someone With Dementia

  • WHAT IS DEMENTIA?

    Dementia is progressive and is caused when the brain is damaged by illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease. The term Dementia describes a collection of symptoms caused by disorders affecting the brain. This affects a person’s memory, intellectual abilities, social skills, and emotional reactions. It can also result in changes in personality, and affects a person’s ability to maintain relationships. Whilst there is no cure for dementia, you can still live a fulfilled and engaging life.

  • CARING FOR DEMENTIA AT HOME

    People with dementia benefit significantly from remaining in the familiar surroundings of their own home. At Home Instead, relationship-based care is at the heart of everything we do, and we know how important it is to see the same highly-trained CAREGivers which helps to build a strong relationship. This is especially valuable for someone living with dementia as it provides familiarity and enables the CAREGivers to develop knowledge about their individual background and routine.

  • TIPS FOR FAMILIES & LOVED ONES

    Caring for a person with dementia can be challenging and requires patience and flexibility. One of the most distressing aspects can be the changes in behaviour that can sometimes occur. It is important to note that physical illness, pain or discomfort of any kind can trigger a change in behaviour which may be difficult for the person living with dementia to communicate. Creating an environment where they feel safe, secure, and valued is crucial as well as providing engaging activities to participate in.