Local home care company pledges to help boost early dementia diagnosis

The Alzheimer’s Society’s checklist lists typical dementia symptoms. People with dementia, or their loved ones, can fill it in and show it to a GP or healthcare professional. It helps show the severity of the condition and increases the chances of receiving a diagnosis, enabling you to seek further help. Not only that, it removes the need for family members to discuss their loved ones symptoms in front of them, preventing conflict and upset.

As a company that supports older people with dementia living at home, Home Instead sees the impact that the condition has on families. The company has care professionals who are specially trained to deliver dementia care, and decided that Dementia Action Week, run by the Alzheimer’s Society, was the best time to raise awareness.

Wendy Chard, Head of Community Engagement at Home Instead Ipswich, Woodbridge and Felixstowe, says: “Some people have difficulty receiving a dementia diagnosis, for a number of reasons. Perhaps the GP thinks that the person is simply showing signs of old age, rather than dementia. And maybe their loved one doesn’t think they have developed the condition. The dementia checklist is such a useful tool to demonstrate the common signs your loved one is showing, from asking the same question repeatedly to struggling to find the right word.

“Getting an early diagnosis is important, and that’s the message we’re spreading when out in the community to mark Dementia Action Week. It might be that your loved one can get treatment to prevent it from progressing further. Or they might benefit from joining a local support group. Find out at an early stage stands you in great stead to face the challenges of dementia together.”

Home Instead’s dementia training programme is City & Guilds assured and has even won a Princess Royal Training Award. Care professionals are equipped with the knowledge and skills to respond to common dementia symptoms and enable older people to live at home safely and happily.

Home Instead in Ipswich, Woodbridge and Felixstowe run several Dementia support groups for the community, they also have several events going on during Dementia Action week.