Dementia Care at Home in Birmingham

What is dementia care at home?

Dementia care at home means a trained carer supports someone living with dementia in their own house, helping with washing, dressing, medication, meals and company, while keeping the routine and surroundings they already know. For many people it is an alternative to moving into a care home.

Izzy Care Solutions provides dementia care across Birmingham, Solihull, Sutton Coldfield, Telford and the wider West Midlands. We are registered with the Care Quality Commission under location ID 1-16954979936, and dementia is listed as a specialism on our CQC record.

Why familiar surroundings matter in dementia

Someone living with dementia relies heavily on routine and on recognising where they are. A familiar kitchen, a familiar chair, a familiar route to the bathroom are all doing work that nobody notices until they are gone. Moving house removes all of it at once, which is why a move can bring on a sharp decline in someone who had been managing.

Staying at home is not always the right answer, and we will say so if we think it is not. But where it is possible, keeping the surroundings constant is usually the kindest option.

Will my relative see the same carer each time?

Wherever possible, yes, and in dementia care this matters more than in any other kind. An unfamiliar person at the door can be frightening for someone who cannot place them, and a carer who already knows the routine can tell when something is wrong.

We match a small, consistent team to each client rather than sending whoever is free. When a regular carer is on leave, we introduce the cover carer beforehand instead of sending a stranger unannounced.

What dementia care at home involves

Every care plan is different, because dementia affects people differently and changes over time. Support commonly includes:

• Help with washing, dressing and personal care, at the person's own pace
• Prompting and administering medication at the right times
• Preparing meals and making sure someone is eating and drinking enough
• Keeping to a familiar daily routine, which reduces confusion and distress
• Company and conversation, which matters as much as the practical help
• Support to keep doing the things they still enjoy
• Keeping an eye on changes and telling the family what we notice

What about distress, repetition and sundowning?

Repeated questions, agitation in the late afternoon, resistance to washing, and getting up in the night are common, and they are not the person being difficult. Our carers are trained in dementia awareness and work by reassurance and redirection rather than correction. Arguing with someone about what year it is helps nobody.

Where a particular time of day is consistently hard, we build the visit around it rather than around what is convenient for us.

What if they refuse care?

This is common, especially early on, and especially from someone who has always been independent. It is usually easier if the first visits are short and framed around something practical rather than personal, and if the same carer comes each time so they become a familiar face rather than a stranger in the house.

We would rather build up slowly and have the arrangement last than push too hard in week one.

Dementia care at home or a care home?

There is no answer that is right for everyone. Home care tends to suit people in the earlier and middle stages, people who are settled in their own home, and couples who want to stay together. A care home may be the safer option where someone needs supervision through the whole night, or where the house cannot be made safe.

We will tell you honestly which we think suits the situation, including when that means recommending something we do not provide. If overnight support would help, live-in care may be worth considering before a move.

What does dementia care cost?

Home care with Izzy Care Solutions starts at £24 an hour, with a minimum visit of 30 minutes. What you pay each week depends on how many visits are needed and how long each one needs to be. Dementia is not charged at a different rate.

You may not have to pay the whole cost yourself. Birmingham City Council can carry out a care needs assessment, and Attendance Allowance is not means tested. We set out the funding routes on our costs page.

Our carers

Every carer holds an enhanced DBS check and the Care Certificate, and is trained in dementia awareness, safeguarding, moving and handling and medication before visiting anyone. You can read more about how we recruit and train our carers.

Arranging dementia care

Call us and we will arrange a free visit to talk it through, at home, with whoever needs to be there. There is no charge for that visit and no obligation afterwards. If you decide to go ahead, we agree a care plan and match a carer before any start date is set.

Call 07423 495545 or send us a message. We are available Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, and at weekends 9am to 5pm.