Introduction

[NickVanLeiden]

Hi. My name is Nick and I live in the Netherlands. I have a couple of relatives in the UK going through Alzheimer's and thought this might be another good place to gather helpful information.
I have a question. One of my relatives is living by themselves but with regular daily carers. They are clearly going downhill but I am curious at what point a move to residential care is advised.
Right now they can cloth and to some extent wash (although sometimes the carers assist). Food preparation is now more or less entirely by the carers although preparing cereal and cups of coffee is possible and microwaving a reading meal happens with help. Short term memory is more or less zero with anything beyond 5 minutes out of the question. Thanks for any advice.

 

[Sarasa]

Welcome to Dementia Support Forum @NickVanLeiden. . My mother in law stayed in her own home much longer than my mother mainly because she didn't try wandering outside the house and had one of her children close at home popping in a couple of times a day as well a carers coming in. In the end the agency said they thought MiL needed to be a care home, so i think now might be a good time to talk to the care agency about whether they think your relative is still safe at home. Even if they think things are OK at present it might be an idea to start looking at possible care homes. Certainly with my mother she was OK at home until very suddenly she wasn't and I was glad I had a home already lined up that could take her.

 

[northumbrian_k]

Hi @NickVanLeiden and welcome to Dementia Support Forum. This is a community of people who have experience of many aspects of dementia. It is a great place to ask questions and share with people who understand. I am sorry to hear about your relatives. When care needs grow to the point where 24 hour support is needed this may often, but not always, be met by admission to a care home. Knowing when and how to do this can be tricky. The link below may help:

Care homes: When is the right time and who decides?

Advice and practical tips for carers on when is the right time for a person to be moved to a care home.

www.alzheimers.org.uk