Dementia care at home can take many different forms, depending on the needs of the person receiving care. A specialist dementia and Alzheimer’s carer or personal assistant can provide different types of care:
For those dealing with dementia or specific neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, a carer can provide the support they need to live comfortably in the safe and familiar surroundings of their home. Dementia care at home can be the most convenient option that allows them to remain as independent as possible. Curam's experienced home carers provide specialist support for those with dementia throughout the UK.
Carers can support those with both early and late-stage dementia in numerous ways:
Enable you to remain living independently in your own home
Provide support with domestic tasks and chores
Aid with mobility and exercise
Provide bathroom assistance and continence care
Prepare meals and encourage healthy eating
Manage distressing behaviours such as pacing, shouting and aggression
Provide companionship and security
Help with medication and medical equipment
Provide reassurance and peace of mind
Why choose dementia care?
Alzheimer's and dementia care is a specialised form of care supporting people in the various stages of dementia. This will often include medication prompting, reassurance, assistance with eating and drinking, continence care and therapeutic care.
In-home care can be beneficial to those with dementia and specific neurodegenerative diseases by providing them safety and comfort in familiar surroundings, potentially reducing confusion and making it easier for them to see family and friends.
Who needs dementia care at home?
Who needs dementia care at home?
Live-in dementia care is a good option for those who need constant care but have needs that can be met at home.
People in the middle and late stages of dementia will typically require 24-hour home care. Those in the early stages of dementia do not typically require as much assistance, but it's important to monitor their progress and plan for the future.
Benefits of live-in dementia care vs care homes
While a care home might be right for someone with dementia, receiving care in their own home means that they'll have assistance in a comfortable and familiar environment. Home carers support those with dementia in numerous ways:
Enable you to remain living comfortably in your own home
Reduce distress and confusion caused by moving
Provide companionship and focused one-on-one care
Reduce isolation and help them stay connected to friends, family and community
Help them maintain good nutrition and hydration
Give structure to their day and help them stay close to pets
Maintain your privacy and existing schedule
Home care is the most cost-effective kind of care for those who need support but would like to maintain their independence. Contrary to what many people assume about home care, it can actually be more cost effective than moving to a care home.
Dementia home care services
Carers will fulfil the tasks agreed to in their service agreement. These tasks can range from personal care to domestic tasks and chores including shopping, laundry, meal preparation and transport. The focus is on making sure those with dementia feel safe and cared for through their regular routines.
Types of dementia home care
Dementia home care is tailored to an individual's needs and specific condition. Carers on the Curam platform provide many different kinds of dementia care:
Alzheimer's disease care
Vascular dementia care
Lewy Body dementia care
Frontotemporal dementia care
Last-minute care in case of cancellation or sickness
Palliative and any other specialist care type needed
Live in care
Live in-care for 24/7 support
Hourly care
Hourly care according to their schedule
Overnight care
Overnight care, including both sleeping night and waking night care
Respite care
Respite care while your regular carer goes on holiday or suddenly unavailable
Top 5 tips to make your home more dementia friendly
Assess the trip hazards in your home
Alzheimer’s and dementia can affect visual-spatial abilities, causing problems with coordination and balance. By removing obstacles and considering flooring and furniture choices, you can avoid common falls. Start by checking there are no loose corners to carpets and rugs. You can also illuminate darker parts of the house with lamps, LED lights, or plug in night-lights. Consider a security light for the entrance or garden and be sure to store ornaments and decorative items out of reach.
Highlight photos of family, friends and loved ones
A familiar environment helps people living with dementia who experience symptoms of confusion and lapses in memory. Research shows that physical objects, such as photos, can improve cognition in those living with later-stage dementia. Objects spark memories and offer opportunities to talk, so be sure to keep framed photographs in obvious places around your home.
Start labelling your cupboards and draws
Early-stage dementia can be easily managed with a few kitchen adaptations. Colour coded labels on foods, drawers and utensils can act as a simple visual prompt. As the symptoms progress, it may not be safe for a person living with late-stage dementia to use the kitchen. Here, a carer can take on the duty of washing up, providing hot drinks, snacks and home cooked meals.
Easy Kitchen Updates
Include safe, comfortable seating to involve people living with dementia in the social experience of meal preparation.
Consider evolving visual needs
Navigating stairs can be difficult if dementia has affected a person’s mobility. Patterns can cause confusion with distance and depth perception - so be mindful of carpet choices and try to replace patterned carpets with a plainer option. Additionally, if you have any dark spots in your home, increase lighting by using plug in night lights, especially on landings and hallways. Some people do decide to relocate their bedroom to the ground floor for ease.
Responsibilities, duties and tasks of an hourly carer
A carer looks after the person needing care according to the tasks agreed in the service agreement. Some of the tasks that an hourly carer might normally carry out are:
Personal care such as washing, dressing and continence care
Help with mobility and movement around the home
Assistance with and prompting to taking prescribed medicines
General domestic duties, including laundry, light cleaning, gardening and admin tasks
Help with cooking and meal preparation
Preventing and managing sundowning
Preventing falls and accidents in the home
Companionship and help with social interaction
Providing reassurance when confused or scared
Managing distressing behaviours such as pacing, shouting and aggression
How it works?
Easy 3 step process to hire a carer of your choice.
1
Find
Personalise your search to find experienced carers near you Or Post your express CuramPlan to find carers that fit your immediate care needs
2
Meet
Video/audio call your chosen carer on CuramMeet or message them via the app.
3
Hire
Hire your insured and vetted carer via Curam.
Take the first step, share your post code to find dementia care near you
Cost of in-home dementia care
Our self-employed carers set their own rates on the Curam platform. The cost of home care is often determined by the level of care required and the number of people needing care. These rates can vary according to the carer’s experience and qualifications.
For those who don’t need 24/7 support, hourly care and overnight care at home may suit their needs.
General costs
The average live-in care rate charged on Curam is £1,040 per week, with rates starting at £770 per week. The average hourly care rate charged by carers on Curam is £18.30 per hour, with rates starting at £13 an hour. Rates vary depending on where you live in the UK.
Invoices are also subject to the Curam client fee of 10% and VAT. However, this client fee may be lower or waived for our business partners or those receiving local authority or NHS funding for their care. Please email client@curamcare.com to learn more about your costs with Curam.
Check average rates in your postcode
With Curam you pay less but your carer earns more
Please enter your postcode
Clients on the Curam platform pay on average 22% less than the
current suggested UK Home Care Association hourly rate of £25.95
How to pay for in-home dementia care?
You can pay for live-in care privately, with assistance from the NHS or local authority, or from some combination of different sources.
Most people who pursue live-in care will pay for it privately. However, you may be able to get funding to help pay for your care. There are three steps that you can follow to ensure that you receive all the money to which you are entitled:
If you still have difficulty funding your own care after checking the above services, you may consider other options such as equity release.
According to the NHS, you might be eligible for local council support towards the cost of your social care if you have less than £23,250 in savings (called the upper capital limit, or UCL). From October 2023 this will rise to £100,000 in savings.
Exactly how much your council will pay depends on what care you need and how much you can afford to pay.
The first step is for your council to do an assessment to check how much help you need. This is called a needs assessment. The needs assessment is free and anyone can ask for one. Find out more about getting a needs assessment.
Some people with long-term complex health needs qualify for free social care arranged and funded solely by the NHS. This is known as NHS continuing healthcare.
To be eligible for NHS continuing healthcare, you must be assessed by a team of healthcare professionals (a multidisciplinary team). The team will look at all your care needs and relate them to:
What help you need
How complex your needs are
How intense your needs can be
How unpredictable they are, including any risks to your health if the right care is not provided at the right time
Your eligibility for NHS continuing healthcare depends on your assessed needs, and not on any particular diagnosis or condition. If your needs change then your eligibility for NHS continuing healthcare may change.
With Curam, you pay for live-in care though a secure payment system on our app or website. Your carer of choice will create a service agreement and shift invoice, which will automatically be sent to your Curam account for your approval.
Once you have approved these, you will be taken to the payment portal. Your payment is held securely until the shift is completed and is then released to the carer two working days after the end of the shift, minus the Curam fee. Shift invoices typically cover one to two weeks of care at a time, but specific payment frequency can be agreed with your carer.
Off-platform and cash payments are not accepted. These are liable to a fee of £2,000. Please see our terms and conditions for more information, specifically point 9.3.
Why choose Curam for in-home dementia care?
We know that hiring a carer is an emotionally charged decision, so we've done everything we can to make it as safe, seamless and stress-free as possible.
Choice is at the heart of Curam. By connecting carers and those who need care, we enable people to take control of their lives.
We've made it possible to hire a carer within a matter of hours. With Curam you can search, interview, message, hire and pay approved and vetted carers throughout the UK.
We are building a care community that allows each of us to live an independent life.
Experts and experience
Curam is a community of experts. Every carer on Curam's platform has been interviewed and fully vetted by our recruitment team. They have had a DBS check, are legally entitled to work in the UK and any qualifications mentioned on their profile are backed up with certificates.
Self-managed
Curam does things differently. Unlike care agencies, we make sure the choice of care is in your hands. You can interview carers personally before hiring them and have a final say on what their responsibilities will be in your home.
Our carers are self-employed. They don't pay joining fees and their charge rates include Curam's fee of 12.5% and VAT, which covers the cost of their insurance, easy-to-use service agreements and a hassle-free payment system. This means that the client pays less than they would with an agency, and the carer in turn receives a higher wage.
Individual support
In-home care with Curam respects independence. It is tailored to each individual while allowing them to live in the comfort of their own home. Receiving care at home can be a safer and more cost-effective alternative to a care home.
How to find and hire a dementia carer with Curam?
To arrange live-in care on the Curam platform, create an account. If you provide us with your postcode, your care requirements, your gender preference for carers and more detail as needed, carers that fit your demonstrated needs will then apply to your Curam account.
We recommend that you call or meet your carer of choice before contracting with them. Read our advice on interviewing a potential carer.
Alternatively, you can use our search tool to find a carer that suits your needs. You can filter by care type, condition, experience, languages spoken and more in your search. If you see a particular carer that fits your criteria, send them a message outlining your care needs and checking their availability.
All carers can be tried on a trial basis and any specific arrangement can be changed or cancelled with a minimum notice of 48 hours.
Please note that Curam does not provide managed care. It’s critical to our mission that both the client and the carer have choice and control over their care relationship.
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