Strategies for helping your loved one to use their bed

Bramble Home Care takes great pride in being able to offer the best-tailored home help in Gloucester, provided by highly trained home carers who know the best strategies for assisting your loved one to maintain the utmost mobility and independence while living in their own abode. In this piece, we are focussing on the various ways in which you can help your loved one to make best use of their bed. This is an important topic for advanced dementia sufferers who are no longer able to move in and out of bed unaided, as well as for those sufferers who have developed mobility problems in general.

There are various potentially useful strategies for helping the person with dementia to move from lying down on the bed to sitting on the edge. You may use a 'rising' gesture - providing a visual cue - while saying "Get up, please", followed by "Sit on the edge, please" - a goal-based request. You could ensure that the person is first lying with their knees bent up, before asking them to look at you and reach for either your hand or the edge of the bed.

If you need your loved one to move from sitting on the edge of the bed to lying down, you may ask them to "Lie down, please", slapping the pillows to make a noise that serves as a sound cue. Encouraging the person to lie down along the bed's length could be done by saying to them, "Here's the pillow", helping them to feel it - a touch cue.

When your loved one is required to move across the bed, you could combine the instruction "Move across here, please" with a sliding gesture, which provides a directional cue. Guidance can be offered through touch cues, and a slide sheet can be used to assist the person in moving their hips across.

Finally, another part of the right home help in Gloucester is assisting your loved one to move along the bed's edge when they need to do so. You can assist them in this by saying "Move along, please" along with a gesture as a directional cue. Another potentially effective method here is to sit away from the person and encourage them to move towards you by patting the bed, saying "Come and sit beside me."

Various means exist of potentially helping the person with dementia to move around, and you will need to take your time and reassure them as they attempt to make such major changes of position. Contact Bramble Home Care now to learn about how our own home carers can provide the most suitable home help in Gloucester with your loved one's everyday activities. 

To access more information on this topic, visit this page of the Alzheimer’s Society website: http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/download_info.php?fileID=1111.

Editor’s Note: Bramble Home Care (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

Dealing with the unusual behaviour that dementia can present

With the progressive development of dementia in your loved one whose care is being supported by Bramble Home Care (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk) home carers in Gloucestershire, behavioural changes can arise that you find very stressful, irritating and/or difficult to deal with. When such challenging behaviour arises, it is vital to remain calm if you are to deal effectively with it. The better you inform yourself on the meanings of certain behaviours and how they can be overcome or managed, the easier it is to deal with the situation.

Obviously, everyone is different, possessing their own character traits and preferences, but there are certain forms of behaviour that are identified particularly often in those with dementia. Your loved one being catered for by our home care agency in Gloucestershire may struggle to express him or herself in words, which may lead to more extreme behaviour. Common types of behaviour include the repeated carrying out of certain activities, such as gestures or asking the same question. This repetition, sometimes called 'perseveration' by medical experts, can arise out of boredom, or because the person does not remember having done it previously.

General restlessness can also be evident in those with dementia, perhaps because they are hungry, thirsty, constipated or in pain, or possibly because of illness or the side effects of medication. Boredom, a lack of exercise or busy or noisy surroundings are other possible reasons. There may also be changes in the brain that have brought this behaviour on. If your loved one receiving home help in Gloucester seems to be upset, you should try to discover why, and reassure them. You may then try to distract them with an activity, or get them to undertake some form of exercise.

People with dementia can exhibit quite upsetting symptoms which can be for a variety of reasons: from frustration because they are bored to more serious problems, for example, because they are in pain.  However, all symptoms are predominantly caused because they are unable to communicate effectively - they simply can't express themselves.  It is important to recognise if you are offering care or supporting someone with dementia that these are symptoms of the illness and that there are strategies that can help you to deal with these awkward and often upsetting situations.

For instance, if the person calls for someone from their past, try to discuss this period in their life with them, and respond to the feelings that they show - while avoiding any harsh facts, such as a death, that may distress them. There are so many more unusual behaviours that a person receiving respite care in Gloucestershire from Bramble Home Care (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk) may exhibit, from a lack of inhibition or night-time waking to trailing and checking or hiding and losing things. When you are trying to cope with such behaviour, bear in mind that the person is not being deliberately difficult. Nonetheless, if you do find the behaviour overly stressful, it is a good idea to seek professional advice.

Editor’s Note: Bramble Home Care (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

What benefits are people with dementia entitled to?

It isn't just care in your own home in Gloucestershire, as provided by Bramble Home Care (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk), that helps to maintain your independence and quality of life after you are diagnosed with dementia. Indeed, critical financial support is also available via the wide range of benefits to which those with dementia and their carers can be entitled. Bear in mind, though, that some of these benefits can be more complicated to access than others, and that some are means-tested, being dictated by income or savings.

The forms can be long and detailed, so you shouldn't hesitate to get expert help with completing them if required. You may be able to receive assistance from a social worker, Citizens Advice Bureau or local welfare rights service. Age UK and the Benefit Enquiry Line can also advise on your benefits application when you are receiving dementia care in Gloucestershire. It may be possible for you to arrange a home visit with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), depending on the type of benefit applied for, or you may find the information that you need on the GOV.UK website.

The main benefits that apply to those receiving help at home in Gloucestershire from us are Attendance allowance, Disability living allowance and Personal independence payment. These aren't based on the dementia diagnosis, but your daily living, care and mobility requirements. They are tax-free benefits that are not means-tested or based on National Insurance contributions. Attendance allowance is for those aged 65 or over, and covers personal care needs - for example, with washing and dressing or taking medication.

Disability living allowance, meanwhile, is now being phased out, with people aged under 65 instead needing to apply for Personal independence payment, which covers daily living and mobility. If you are still in work while receiving our respite care in Gloucestershire, there are further benefits that you may be eligible for, depending on your individual circumstances. These include Working tax credit, a means-tested benefit that some people working on a low wage can claim - although it is being phased out from next year, and replaced by Universal credit, which is replacing many means-tested benefits for working-age people in Great Britain from October 2013.

You may also want to investigate Statutory sick pay, Employment and support allowance, Income support, Winter fuel and Cold weather payments, Housing benefit and Council tax support if you are receiving domiciliary care in Gloucestershire from us and still struggling to cover your vital expenses. If you are the person looking after someone with dementia for a minimum of 35 hours a week, you may be entitled to Carer's allowance - although you should seek advice on whether receiving this benefit may reduce the amount to which the person with dementia is entitled.

Those benefitting from Bramble Home Care's (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk) home help in Gloucester may also be interested in appointing someone that they trust to receive and manage their benefits money. If this interests you, simply contact DWP for more information.

Editor’s Note: Bramble Home Care (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

What benefits are people with dementia entitled to?

It isn't just care in your own home in Gloucestershire, as provided by Bramble Home Care (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk), that helps to maintain your independence and quality of life after you are diagnosed with dementia. Indeed, critical financial support is also available via the wide range of benefits to which those with dementia and their carers can be entitled. Bear in mind, though, that some of these benefits can be more complicated to access than others, and that some are means-tested, being dictated by income or savings.

The forms can be long and detailed, so you shouldn't hesitate to get expert help with completing them if required. You may be able to receive assistance from a social worker, Citizens Advice Bureau or local welfare rights service. Age UK and the Benefit Enquiry Line can also advise on your benefits application when you are receiving dementia care in Gloucestershire. It may be possible for you to arrange a home visit with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), depending on the type of benefit applied for, or you may find the information that you need on the GOV.UK website.

The main benefits that apply to those receiving help at home in Gloucestershire from us are Attendance allowance, Disability living allowance and Personal independence payment. These aren't based on the dementia diagnosis, but your daily living, care and mobility requirements. They are tax-free benefits that are not means-tested or based on National Insurance contributions. Attendance allowance is for those aged 65 or over, and covers personal care needs - for example, with washing and dressing or taking medication.

Disability living allowance, meanwhile, is now being phased out, with people aged under 65 instead needing to apply for Personal independence payment, which covers daily living and mobility. If you are still in work while receiving our respite care in Gloucestershire, there are further benefits that you may be eligible for, depending on your individual circumstances. These include Working tax credit, a means-tested benefit that some people working on a low wage can claim - although it is being phased out from next year, and replaced by Universal credit, which is replacing many means-tested benefits for working-age people in Great Britain from October 2013.

You may also want to investigate Statutory sick pay, Employment and support allowance, Income support, Winter fuel and Cold weather payments, Housing benefit and Council tax support if you are receiving domiciliary care in Gloucestershire from us and still struggling to cover your vital expenses. If you are the person looking after someone with dementia for a minimum of 35 hours a week, you may be entitled to Carer's allowance - although you should seek advice on whether receiving this benefit may reduce the amount to which the person with dementia is entitled.

Those benefitting from Bramble Home Care's (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk) home help in Gloucester may also be interested in appointing someone that they trust to receive and manage their benefits money. If this interests you, simply contact DWP for more information.

Editor’s Note: Bramble Home Care (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

What furniture could help to keep you independent?

When you want to remain independent in your own home for as long as possible, home help in Gloucester from our well-trained staff here at Bramble Home Care (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk) can be of immeasurable value. Our services encompass palliative care, domestic help, care escorts and more, tailored to your needs. There is an array of furniture on the market which can help to keep you more independent, and while we don’t supply furniture ourselves, here is a quick guide to what is available.

Specialist seating

Many of those who come to us for domiciliary care in Gloucestershire have special needs that require specialist seating – whether that is in the form of chairs to help with postural management, pressure relief solutions, automatic riser recliners, ergonomic seating or chairs for people with more complicated needs.

Generally, to achieve as much comfort and stability as possible, the user should be able to sit with their hip joints and knee joints bent at 90 degrees, with their feet resting flat on the floor. This allows for the even distribution of weight through the buttocks and thighs, rather than mainly in the pelvic area. It’s important to carefully consider individual needs so that the right equipment is chosen.

Hospital beds

Beds are also available to cater for certain special needs – although such needs should be assessed by a suitably qualified professional so that the right choice of equipment is made (Bramble Home Care are not qualified to give such advice*). Examples include profiling beds, which are electrically adjustable beds that allow for a change in the user’s position with the minimum of strain. Three part and four part beds are the most common profiling beds.

Other types of beds that may interest those that receive domestic care in Gloucester include low beds for those that are liable to fall or climb out of bed and injure themselves as a result. Safety rails can also be fitted to prevent people falling out of bed.

Contract furniture

This type of furniture is often ordered for more challenging environments, and ranges from dining room and lounge furniture that has been specifically made for hard use, to special lockers and cupboards that protect valuable equipment.

Like hospital beds, this type of furniture is not of as much immediate relevance to most of our clients at Bramble Home Care, but it’s nonetheless worth considering whether you could benefit from the likes of easier to use cupboard and drawer handles or height adjustable tables and desks.

In environments like nursing homes and hospitals as well as the home, furniture like the aforementioned can make a major difference to a person’s ability to keep mobile and remain independent for many years longer than would otherwise be the case.

Contact Bramble Home Care (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk) now for information on our range of care services.

While Bramble Home Care are always happy to point our clients in the right direction with any issues which help them to be mobile and independent as much as possible, it’s always important that they seek the advice of relevant healthcare specialists such as Occ Health agencies with regards to specific furniture or equipment.

Editor’s Note: Bramble Home Care (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

Spotting the early signs of dementia – and where to get help

Is your older relative merely being a bit forgetful, in the way that anyone else can be... or is it a sign of a more serious underlying medical condition? It might not be obvious, but it’s imperative to keep an eye out for the first signs of dementia in a loved one, so that appropriate help can be sought – potentially including appropriate domestic care in Gloucester from Bramble Home Care (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk). Dementia is a disease that becomes more likely with old age.

However, that is not to suggest that dementia is inevitable for your loved ones as the years pass, with it not being an issue for 19 out of 20 over 65s and 4 in 5 of those aged over 80. Nonetheless, one of the problems with spotting the first signs of dementia is that advancing age is the sole factor that we know definitely increases the risk. For example, the most common type of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, has no known cause. Not only does it not run in families, but there is no particular group that is more affected by it than any other. There are, however, more known risk factors for vascular dementia, which is the second most common form, including excess alcohol, smoking and high blood pressure.

Another thing that makes spotting dementia at an early stage potentially confusing is that waning memory alone does not necessary suggest it. However, dementia is more likely if the memory loss in question involves more recent memories being forgotten, while memories of many years ago are not affected. Other potential early symptoms that may lead one to consider dementia care in Gloucestershire include the loved one becoming irritable, behaving out of character and getting easily lost and disorientated. They may also seem to lose their ability to learn new skills – such as how to use a new household gadget.

According to research, 66% of people in the UK are unaware of the early signs of Alzheimer’s or dementia, with only 5% regarding themselves as well-informed – so even the most basic knowledge of some of the symptoms helps. It is important, however, to be sensitive in your response if you do suspect a loved one to have dementia. The obvious first step is to contact your GP so that an assessment can be performed and other conditions – such as depression – ruled out. In the event of a diagnosis of dementia, you will need to prepare and plan for the future, making decisions about money, benefits, legal affairs and potential home help in Gloucester.

It’s important to realise that those with dementia don’t necessarily need to go straight into a care home. Although the disease changes over time, with the right support, many people can stay at home for longer, retaining their mobility and independence. When you contact Bramble Home Care (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk), we can provide advice on the potential suitability of our dementia care in Gloucester, having carefully assessed and discussed the matter with you and your loved one.

Editor’s Note: Bramble Home Care (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

How home care services are catering for an ageing population

Although one does not have to be old to suffer from debilitating conditions like dementia, there is clearly a link between the two – and the role of home carers is only set to become more important in future decades as the population continues to age. Bramble Home Care (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk) is proud to play its own part by providing the highest standard of tailored home help in Gloucester for those that want to preserve their independence at home in their later years.

The statistics make clear the scale of the challenge facing the UK in future years, as far as adequately caring for its elderly is concerned. Only 5% of the population was aged 65 and over in 1901 and this had more than doubled by 1951. It hit 16% in 2001. Since 1985, the median age of the population – the age at which half of the population is above, and half below – rose from 35 to 40. Whereas a 65-year old man in around 1960 would expect to live for a further 11 years, a man of that age in 2010 could expect 21 more years of life.*

Across the UK and indeed the world, the ageing population can be largely attributed to a long-term decline in birth rates. As a home care agency in Gloucestershire, we acknowledge the prevailing trend and the challenges that await us over the coming years. We know, for example, that over the next two decades, there will be a doubling in the number of “old, old people”, those aged 80 or 85 and over, from 1.53 to 3.25 million*. These people depend on care services much more heavily, which is one reason why we do not hesitate to continually develop our own services in home help in Gloucestershire.

Of course, the increasing need for home care also increases the demand for the very highest quality home care. We therefore take very seriously the training and ongoing professional development of our home carers in Gloucestershire, with vigorous security checks needing to be passed by new staff. Mandatory training is also provided to new workers in the likes of manual handling, food hygiene and first aid. But we also take pride in tailoring our services to the exact needs of service users, with the likes of personal care, a sleep-in service, care escorts, palliative care and 24 hour live-in care all available.

To determine whether our services here at Bramble Home Care (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk) are suitable for their needs, prospective service users are able to meet us – usually in their own home – as part of a completely free, no obligation assessment. If this meeting is to your satisfaction, then you may come to an agreement on us providing you with care in your own home in Gloucestershire. It’s all part of our commitment to ensuring that you live every year of your own life to the full, even as the population at large continues to age.

source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/mar/11/increasing-social-care-demands-ageing-population

Editor’s Note: Bramble Home Care (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

Reasons to trust the dementia care services of Bramble Home Care

Here at Bramble Home Care (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk), we appreciate that with the advanced progression of dementia, you will probably need more extensive care and support. However, we also understand that you are likely to want to retain your independence for as long as possible, being cared for in the comfort of your own home. That’s why our home carers in Gloucestershire have extensive expertise in dementia care, including live-in longer term care.

If you have dementia, then there are certain requirements that you are advised to carefully consider, including your exact accommodation and care needs. Bramble Home Care can provide care at home in Gloucestershire that is tailored to these needs, helping to maintain your quality of life at home. We specialise in caring for people with dementia, helping with every task from cooking to cleaning, or even just providing some company. We can offer general domestic support or 24 hour live-in care.

We focus on providing those with dementia with a high quality, friendly and professional service, working closely alongside them and their friends and family to determine their exact individual needs. Depending on the stage of your dementia and other individual circumstances, you might need some help with the preparation of meals, or you may want us to assist you with links to clubs and activities so that you can continue with lifelong hobbies, interests and friendships.

You, too, can determine whether our services in dementia care in Gloucester are right for you, by requesting a free assessment, through which we will be able to get to know each other better. The meeting, which is completely free and without obligation, usually takes place in your own home, the place where care will probably be provided. It is the ideal opportunity for you to communicate your care concerns ahead of time, while we carefully listen so that we know how to adapt our service to meet your specific requirements.

We can provide home help in Gloucester on a short-term or long-term basis, while our staff members have to pass vigorous security checks, including thoroughly checked CRB and references. Our complete dementia care and support package can encompass personal care, including assistance getting up in the mornings, bathing and dressing, as well as domestic service including laundry, cleaning, ironing, shopping and more. We also offer care escorts and social trips out. Whatever the nature of our services, the emphasis is continually on helping you to lead as normal and independent a life as possible.

Consider contacting Bramble Home Care (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk) today, on 01452 387075 or by emailing enquiries@bramblehomecare.co.uk, for more information about our extensive and tailored dementia care in Gloucestershire.

Editor’s Note: Bramble Home Care (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.