Southern Comfort

Dementia is a syndrome (a group of related symptoms) associated with an ongoing decline of brain functioning. There are many different causes of dementia, and many different types.

Help and support for people with dementia

A person with dementia will usually need help from friends, relatives or carers.

Many people with mild-to-moderate dementia are able to stay in their own home and live well if they have adequate support. Being in familiar surroundings can help people cope better with their condition.

Dementia Care

Dementia care is about supporting you or a relative to identify the help and support you need using a holistic person centred care needs assessment approach and to implement this according to your needs, wishes and preferences.

A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, such as vascular dementia, can be helpful for explaining the cause of certain symptoms or providing some guidelines for prognosis. Yet we strive to understand our clients as unique and elaborate individuals. This allows us to develop a personalised dementia care plan that can improve the quality of life for our clients – and help put family members at ease. We want to identify opportunities for meaningful socialisation and activities, while limiting the negative emotional states that so often accompany these conditions. As we get to know our clients, we will also be able to make more informed decisions on matching the right caregiver.

The other important element of our dementia care is through our in-house Advanced Practitioner Occupational Therapist Assessment and a caregiver training system that combines practical knowledge on dementia with an in-depth briefing on the client receiving care. Our caregivers learn important skills for improving communication with someone who has memory loss or other cognitive deficits, along with techniques for reducing anxiety or confusion in their client. Training is an ongoing process for our caregivers, as our staff and Advanced Practitioner Occupational Therapist expert continue to provide them with helpful ideas and strategies for providing better care.

Individualised plans & caregiver matching

Our personalised care plans are developed through an understanding of both the obstacles our clients face and their enduring strengths. As we implement adaptations through Occupational Therapist Assessment that will help our clients live safely or with less anxiety, we also look for activities that build upon their strengths and invoke positive emotions.

We know that personality matters and that is why we assess a carer’s interests and lifestyle preferences to ensure we match them with the right client.