Dementia Friendly Care Homes

Those living with dementia require specialist care and support, which extends to the environment they live in too.

A dementia-friendly care home is a facility designed to support the higher care needs of individuals living with dementia. Similar to a residential or nursing home, safety and comfort will always be a priority, but through thoughtful design, such as clear signage, open layouts, memory-triggering objects and personalised spaces, the environment can help to retain independence for as long as possible.

At Barchester, we provide dedicated dementia friendly communities and offer a personalised approach to residential dementia care. Taking into consideration an individual’s wants and needs, and also identifying potential triggers to alleviate distress and support them to live a fulfilling, happy and active life.

We know how important it is for families and friends to feel supported and reassured, especially when transitioning their loved one into a care home, and our expert teams are on-hand to help in any way they can.

What are memory lane communities?

Barchester’s experience with those living with dementia has taught us that maintaining a person’s independence for as long as possible is important to their happiness and well-being. Dedicated Memory Lane Communities are present in most of Barchester’s dementia care homes, and are specially designed to be safe environments that minimise disorientation, with careful attention to detail on lighting, colour theming, furnishing and areas of engagement to support residents to navigate around their surroundings.

Memory Lane Communities are broken up into small sections, to make them more easily navigable and to ensure that both residents and families feel safe and comfortable. Care in our communities is based on independence and choice, and our teams take the time to get to know each person to shape a care and social plan around their unique needs. 

Key features of dementia friendly care homes

A dementia friendly care home should not only ensure that a person is well looked after but that their care impacts their quality of life and overall well-being positively. As dementia progresses, the need for specialist care increases. At Barchester, most of our care homes foster a dementia friendly environment - taking into consideration facilities, life-enriching activities, nutritious food and specially trained carers.

Facilities designed for dementia

Our care homes are designed to support all residents to live a fulfilled life. Those living with dementia may find it difficult to locate specific areas or rooms, which is why our secure environments have been designed to include contrasting colours, themes and memory or sensory prompts, to improve way-finding and help with navigating the home more easily.
 

Many of our homes include life-skills kitchens in their communities, which encourage residents living with dementia to continue simple day-to-day tasks that they’ve always done, for example making a cup of tea or washing the dishes. Tasks or routines like this can offer a sense of purpose and have a positive impact on their well-being.

Trained dementia carers

At Barchester, all of our staff complete our dementia training programme, regardless of whether or not their home offers dementia care. Therefore, all of our residents benefit from well-trained teams, who are able to identify potential triggers for distress in those living with dementia. The person-centred approach to care ensures that residents’ preferences, their life stories, likes and dislikes help to shape their care from the get-go.

Personalised dementia care services

We tailor care to each individual with the use of our ‘Getting to Know Me’ booklets, conversation clouds and portable memory boxes, to understand residents' lives, hobbies and interests and to ensure that they’re living fulfilling lives in our homes.

By getting to know their life story, our dementia care is tailored to include the creation of a care, support and social engagement plan that is unique to each person.

Nutritious food

Nutritious and healthy food is an important part of our care, and we ensure that each resident’s wants and needs are catered for, in the seasonal and delicious meals that we serve. The chefs in Barchester care homes utilise locally sourced meat and vegetables that are freshly prepared and cooked each day across a choice of menus.

Even the smallest of appetites are catered for and our teams pay close attention to providing positive dining experiences that are never rushed, whether a resident chooses to dine with others in one of our dining rooms, or from the comfort of their own room.

Through personalised care plans that are reviewed regularly, we’re able to identify where additional support when dining may be required, and adaptive crockery such as coloured dining plates and adapted cutlery are available to ensure mealtimes are enjoyed with dignity.

Dementia friendly environment

A safe environment is hugely important when caring for those living with dementia. Our Memory Lane Communities are designed especially to support independence through wayfinding, reducing distress with visual prompts and relaxing environments. Doors within our communities are colour coded to aid navigation, and our outdoor spaces are a fantastic place to relax and relieve anxiety, designed to aid sensory orientation.

Engaging dementia friendly activities

At Barchester, we seek to understand each person’s life story and the things they love doing the most. Working with families, our teams encourage and support residents to continue their hobbies, or learn new ones based on their interests and passions. Our homes work closely with their local communities too and often invite dementia support groups, entertainers, local schools and even therapy animals to visit, all of which provide stimulation and positive feelings for those living with dementia.

Because we invest in technology, residents benefit from digital tools to provide mental and physical stimulation in groups or 1-1 activities, and robotic pets or empathy dolls can provide comfort and opportunity for reminiscence. Recollecting memories by looking through old photos, memorabilia and books can help someone to recall earlier times, too.

Why choose Barchester’s residential dementia care home?

At Barchester, our person-centred care at our dementia friendly care homes provide welcoming, comforting and supportive environments for those living with dementia, their friends and family.

Our relationship with academic institutions such as the University of Edinburgh and the University of Worcester, means our dementia specialists have direct access to the most up-to-date research, which is embedded into not only our care and support, but also our dementia training programme that all staff complete.

Barchester’s dementia friendly care homes

Many of our care homes for dementia are connected to, or are a part of, our residential care homes. Built with dementia friendly design at the forefront, our dementia friendly care homes are a safe and comfortable environment for our residents, their friends and family.

Our dementia care homes take into account residents' need for a relaxing environment, whilst also providing stimulating activity opportunities, nutritious food options, and a well-designed dementia friendly community for all.

Find a dementia friendly care home near you

Barchester has over 260 care facilities across the UK, with each one creating a supportive and friendly environment for residents. Find a dementia care home near you and book a visit.

Dementia help & advice

We know that there are many challenges when it comes to caring for a loved one who has dementia. We have compiled a range of helpful resources to help with everything from fees & funding, to support guides for dementia carers. We’ll be here whenever you’re ready to discuss the next steps when you feel it’s right to move a loved one into a care home.