Baxendale Care Home – Caring for Residents with Dementia

One of the biggest challenges faced by the medical profession over the past few years has been the number of people who have been diagnosed with dementia. Here we take a closer look at how it’s been treated over the years – and how we accommodate residents with the condition at Baxendale Care Home, a 24-hour dementia care home near Barnet.

The Condition

Dementia is a mixture of issues which lead to a decline in the brain’s ability to function effectively. Symptoms include loss of memory, a reduction in thinking speed, mobility issues and language problems. Dementia sufferers may also experience hallucinations (both visual and audible).

Alzheimer’s Disease is probably the best-known form of dementia; along with vascular dementia, it makes up the majority of cases in the UK. Vascular dementia is caused by a reduction of the flow of blood to the brain.

How It’s Been Treated Over Time

Dementia has been treated in a variety of ways over the centuries; some of the methods (such as bleeding and vomiting) might seem relatively inhumane, but the simple fact is that science – and particularly medical treatments – weren’t as advanced in centuries gone by.

Although dementia had been identified as a condition as far back as Ancient Greeks, the causes and the treatments were less clear. Some viewed it as a natural part of ageing; others thought it was a punishment from God for sinning. Some sufferers were accused of witchcraft, while others were committed to asylums.

More Modern Developments

The biggest scientific breakthrough was made in 1906 by the German physician Alois Alzheimer, who gave his name to the disease. He discovered, by examining the brain of a woman who had shown signs of mental illness while she was alive, that her cerebral cortex had been damaged. There had also been a build-up of certain types of protein which had either killed off brain cells or impaired their ability to function.

These discoveries laid the groundwork for the development of various types of tests which are used in clinical trials, and which can help make an accurate diagnosis today. His research also helped pave the way for efforts to develop life-changing new treatments, work which is still going on to this day.

However, there is still no one single ‘cure’ for dementia; the NHS points out that this is in part due to the complexity of the disease, and the fact that it can have so many underlying causes. A number of drugs can be administered to help alleviate some of the symptoms.

How Loved Ones Can Help

There are also several steps friends or family can take to help dementia sufferers. You should be patient with them, acknowledging that their life is now more difficult and they may get frustrated with their memory loss or mobility issues.

You should also let them have as much control over their life as possible, letting them carry out the tasks which they can still manage. For more advice, check out our previous blog post here.

Our Dementia Care Unit

Another way of helping with a loved one’s dementia is to stimulate their senses as sufferers find this soothing; they need the reassurance that this provides, as they can often become anxious or depressed. Sensory rooms help to improve sufferers’ overall wellbeing, as well encouraging them to communicate with others.

At Baxendale, we have a dedicated dementia care unit, comprising six bedrooms. Not only do dementia sufferers benefit from our high-quality, round-the-clock care, but can also enjoy our dedicated sensory room which is open to all our residents.

Baxendale Care Home – a 24-Hour Dementia Care Home near Barnet

If you’d like to know more about any of our facilities – and remember we also serve as a residential care home and a respite care home in North London – then you can contact us by following this link and completing the online form; you can also call us on 020 8445 1127 or email us at info@baxendalecare.org.uk.