Dementia respite care near me… activities to support your loved one’s well being and keep their body & mind active

Definition: Respite care is planned or emergency temporary care provided to caregivers of a child or adult.

As professionals that know a lot about dementia and the effect it can have on an individual’s family and carers, we understand the importance of respite care for both the person living with the disease and the person looking after them. Respite care can be looked at in 2 ways:

1. Support for the carer, giving them a break from caring and allowing them to recharge their batteries.
2. Support for the individual, seeing to additional needs that the main carer may not be able to help with on a day-to-day basis.

As dementia respite care may not be required all day, every day, a dementia day centre acts as the perfect place for the individual to attend 2-4 days a week. In this article, we outline the ways our dementia respite centre supports your loved one’s well being and keeps their body and mind active.

Interaction with others is key

In some cases, before attending a dementia day centre, carers report that social interaction is lacking. This is mainly down to the carer supporting their needs within their own home, without realising the importance of communication with others.

Our respite centre cares for around 15 people per day, all with varying degrees of dementia. Sometimes a conversation with someone new is just what’s needed to spark a memory or thought, similarly, the activities we get our members involved in really help to keep their mind active.

Group activities such as puzzles and games, singing and Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) support this and research has proven it greatly improves their wellbeing and general mood.

Regular exercise provides well-needed physical stimulation

Keeping your body active is vital at any age, this is why we introduce some of the following activities into our plan for all members:

• Chair yoga
• Dancing
• Tai-Chi
• Ping Pong
• Gardening

We are also lucky enough to have a physiotherapist with a specialty in dementia, who visits our centre on Fridays. Pauline supports members with;

• Walking better
• Improving confidence
• Recovery after surgery
• Strength, balance and flexibility

In addition, we also take our members out on day trips to visit local attractions, a very popular one we did recently was a visit to Buckfast Abbey. We also take trips to local garden centres, national parks and nearby towns. There’s always something fun going on!

Learn more about what a day at The Ness Dementia Centre looks like here.

Don’t think you can afford respite care?

A misconception of dementia care is that it will be far too expensive to afford when compared to the cost of a full-time carer. In fact, many members receive full or part funding from the NHS and social services to afford their day respite care.

You can learn more about the funding available to you by visiting this website here, and we will always be happy to support you and help navigate the financial process.

Don’t just take our word for it…

We understand that choosing the right respite care for your loved one is a hugely important decision, with their safety, security and wellness being paramount.

We’re proud to have received countless feedback from carers and members’ families about our centre, plus, we’ve even won awards across Devon for our innovative way of helping individuals living with dementia, you can find out more about our awards via our Facebook page.

Read what our members and their loved ones think of our dementia respite care centre >>

Contact The Ness Dementia Centre for a free respite care trial

We want you to feel comfortable leaving our centre knowing that your loved will receive the care and attention they require to keep their mind and body stimulated. For this reason, we always offer new members an initial free trial, so you can get a better understanding of how we work before making any commitment.

You can book your free trial by getting in contact using the form below or calling our team on 01626 774 799.