Supporting people living with dementia

Dementia is widely known for affecting the ability to think, behaviour and memory loss. World Alzheimer’s Month is a global opportunity to raise awareness around, educate, encourage support of and demystify dementia. World Alzheimer’s Day takes place on 21 September as part of World Alzheimer’s Month.

When we know someone we love who is diagnosed with the symptoms, it’s natural to worry about them getting confused about their surroundings. Dementia can be very hard to deal with for the individual who has it, for those around them and especially for those who live with the person affected by dementia.

Although dementia can be really challenging and painful to cope with on a daily basis, as the Alzheimer’s Society says: “Life doesn’t end when dementia begins.” Telecare personal alarms can help hugely to support people with dementia to live independently in their own home, and also provide great peace of mind and respite for carers.

Worldwide, around 55 million people have dementia. As the proportion of older people in the population is increasing in nearly every country, this number is expected to rise to 78 million in 2030 and 139 million in 2050 However, thanks to scientific advances and an ever increasing amount of research, supportive technology solutions are being developed to help those living with dementia to live through each day more easily. In a time where people are increasingly living for longer and with a future prediction of 2 million people having dementia in the UK by 2050, it is especially reassuring to know that something is being done to help individuals through tough times.

In addition to Age UK’s evidence that music can have a positive dramatic effect on those with dementia, there are a plethora of technology projects that are helping the worlds’ ageing populations live with the symptoms, such as care assist robots in Asia.

At Careium, we actively improve individuals quality of life in their own home with tailored telecare packages that support many families to cope with dementia. For instance our assistive technology solutions include personal GPS locator devices that help to track down a person in need, our monitored smoke alarms can automatically alert emergency services, and our memory aid and health management devices help to maintain daily routines.

In addition, we offer a range of sensors including the wearable technology wrist-worn falls detector and motion sensors that notify the carer or nearest family member with a phone call if an individual has been out for a long period of time.

Scientists have discovered that dementia is not necessarily linked to genetics, but that it can be triggered by physical and social environments, lifestyle choices and personality. In future, doctors may be able to predict risk of developing dementia using data from your NHS medical records. For now however, if you are worried about memory health, then please consult your doctor and consider re-evaluating your way of living to become healthier both physically and mentally. To find out more about dementia, please visit the Dementia Research Centre website.

How Careium supports people living with dementia

Every year in March, we support the Dementia UK awareness-raising month with a Make Time for a Cuppa fundraising bake sale and we also work alongside local councils to provide free telecare package trials through referrals.

We also have staff who are trained Dementia Friends, having learnt more about dementia and the small ways we can help. If you would like to find out more about our telecare solutions, please call our friendly team on 0300 333 6511.

For more information about our other services please contact us and view our brochure for our full range of personal safety and healthcare solutions.