Dementia and home care: how to start, what to expect and how it changes

Home care can help someone with dementia stay in familiar surroundings, but how it starts matters. Introduce help gradually, involve the person in decisions, do things with them rather than for them, and remember that the Mental Capacity Act assumes a person can make their own decisions unless it is shown otherwise.

For England. Last checked 13 November 2026. Next check by 13 February 2027. General information, not financial, legal or medical advice.

Before any carer visits, it helps to write down who Dad or Mum is: their routines, what they love, what upsets them, how they like their tea, the names that matter. Alzheimer’s Society recommends the “This is me” leaflet, which records details about a person’s identity, for people receiving professional care.

Introduce help in small steps. Starting with a couple of visits a week, and building up only if you want to, gives the person time to get to know a new face. With Cott’s Care you can do exactly that, and we ask for just 48 hours’ notice if you ever need to stop.

Alzheimer’s Society suggests:

• speak more slowly and use simple words if speech is hard to follow
• keep eye contact, avoid sudden movements and do not stand over the person
• include the person in conversation rather than speaking for them
• reduce background noise
• avoid asking many questions: offer options or yes or no choices

It adds that communication difficulties can also come from pain, other health conditions, side effects of medication or sensory impairment, so a health check is worth considering if things change.

Alzheimer’s Society advises doing things with the person rather than for them, focusing on what they can still do, allowing extra time, breaking tasks into steps, and focusing on the process rather than on completing the task. Carers can help keep existing relationships going and encourage social contact, for example through dementia cafés. A carer also has to balance independence against safety.

Alzheimer’s Society says out-of-character behaviour can be a sign of an unmet need: the person may be thirsty, hungry, in pain, confused, frustrated or bored. A calm carer who knows the person well is better placed to notice, and to tell you.

We say “knows the person well” carefully. We do not promise the same carer every time. Our data from 5 June to 2 September 2026 showed that a regular team of about four carers delivered more than 8 in 10 of a client’s visits.

The NHS summarises the Mental Capacity Act: assume a person has the capacity to make a decision unless it is shown otherwise, help people to make their own decisions wherever possible, do not treat someone as lacking capacity just because they make an unwise decision, and make any decision for a person who lacks capacity in their best interests, using the least restrictive option. Alzheimer’s Society adds that previously expressed wishes should be reflected.

Capacity is specific to each decision and can change over time. A family member’s view is not a formal assessment. Our guides on what to do when Mum or Dad says no to help and lasting power of attorney go further.

The NHS describes home care as help with things such as getting up, washing and dressing, preparing meals, reminders to take medicines and getting out and about. It can be a few hours a week, several hours a day or overnight, and live-in care is available.

As dementia progresses, Alzheimer’s Society says the person will need more help with washing, dressing, eating and toileting. A plan should be able to grow with that. Almost all our visits are 30 minutes or longer, and we plan the length with you. Our carers are competency-assessed and signed off by trained assessors, and we provide home visits, live-in, end-of-life and complex care at home.

Family carers can ask the council for a free carer’s assessment, and the NHS says anyone over 18 who looks after someone regularly can ask for one. Our guide to Carer’s Allowance and carer’s assessments explains how. Call us on 01242 371048, day or night, to talk about a break: a free assessment is usually within 48 hours.

It is not clinical advice and does not explain how to get a diagnosis. It does not cover care home decisions. The sources we read do not explain how deprivation of liberty rules apply to people at home. We did not find official Gloucestershire dementia service pages we could verify, so ask the GP, or Alzheimer’s Society for local support.

• NHS: Dementia (read 13 November 2026)
• Alzheimer’s Society: Help with dementia care (read 13 November 2026)
• Alzheimer’s Society: Understanding and supporting a person with dementia (read 13 November 2026)
• NHS: Mental Capacity Act (read 13 November 2026)
• NHS: Help at home from a paid carer (read 13 November 2026)
• NHS: Carer’s assessments (read 13 November 2026)

This guide is general information for England, written by the Cott’s Care team. Cott’s Care Limited (registered with the CQC as Cott’s Care Solutions) is a family-run home care provider in Cheltenham with over 20 years of experience.

Every public fact comes from the official pages listed above, which we read on 13 November 2026. We do not quote benefit amounts, fees or thresholds, because they change: the sources give the current figures. We will check this guide again by 13 February 2027, and sooner if the rules change.

It is not financial, legal or medical advice, and we cannot say whether any person will qualify for a benefit or service. If you spot something that looks out of date, please tell us on 01242 371048.

Cite this guide: Cott’s Care Limited (13 November 2026). Dementia and home care: how to start, what to expect and how it changes. https://cottscareltd.co.uk/guides/dementia-and-home-care-getting-started/

• Lasting power of attorney for a parent
• What to do when Mum or Dad says no to help
• Home visits, live-in care or 24-hour care