Question 1

What is dementia?

Accepted Answer

Dementia is an umbrella term for a group of conditions that affect memory, thinking, and the ability to carry out everyday tasks. It's caused by changes in the brain and usually gets worse over time. Alzheimer's disease is the most common type, but there are several others, including vascular dementia and Lewy body dementia.

Question 2

How many types of dementia are there?

Accepted Answer

There are over 100 recognised types of dementia, though a small number, including Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, and Lewy body dementia, account for most diagnoses. Explore the main types of dementia and their symptoms.

Question 3

What are the early signs of dementia?

Accepted Answer

Common early signs include memory lapses, difficulty finding the right words, getting confused about time or place, and mood or personality changes. Everyone forgets things occasionally, so it's the pattern that matters more than any single moment. Read our full guide to the early signs of dementia.

Question 4

What’s the difference between Alzheimer's and dementia?

Accepted Answer

Dementia is the umbrella term for a range of conditions that affect memory and thinking. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, but not the only one. In short, every case of Alzheimer's is dementia, but not every case of dementia is Alzheimer's. For more information, read our guide to the difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Question 5

Can dementia care be provided at home?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Live-in and hourly dementia care both take place in your loved one's own home. A trained carer either moves in full-time or visits for set hours, depending on the level of support needed. Many families find home-based care less disruptive than moving into residential care, particularly in the early and middle stages of dementia.

Question 6

How much does dementia care cost?

Accepted Answer

Costs vary depending on the type and level of care needed. You may be able to pay for care privately, receive support from your local authority, or in some cases, access NHS Continuing Healthcare funding. To determine what support might be available, a financial assessment and a needs assessment are usually required. Read our full guide to the cost of dementia care for a detailed breakdown, or call us for a personalised quote.

Question 7

Are live-in carers trained to support someone with dementia?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every carer introduced through Elder for dementia care at home has previous experience supporting people with dementia, and is background-checked before introduction. Wherever possible, we also match on shared interests and personality, not just care needs.

Question 8

Do live-in carers look after all forms of dementia?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Elder matches your loved one with a carer experienced in their specific type of dementia, whether that's Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and more. They take a personalised approach, learning what works best for each person and providing calm, consistent support throughout the condition’s progression.

Question 9

How can a carer help someone with dementia?

Accepted Answer

A dementia carer helps someone with dementia stay as independent as possible. They support daily tasks like meals, medication, and personal hygiene, while encouraging hobbies and activities that keep them engaged. They also offer steady companionship to ease isolation and anxiety, and can point families toward community support like dementia cafés for extra social connection.

Question 10

Does live-in care work for someone with dementia?

Accepted Answer

Yes, for many people living with dementia, live-in care works well, especially in the early and middle stages. Staying at home in familiar surroundings, with a consistent carer rather than rotating staff, can reduce the confusion and anxiety that a change of environment often brings.  As dementia progresses and needs become more complex, some families move their loved ones to a care home instead. The right answer depends on your loved one's needs, so it's worth speaking to a care advisor about your situation.

Question 11

How do we know it's the right time to get help?

Accepted Answer

There's rarely one clear moment. More often it's a build-up of small things: forgotten appointments, meals not eaten, or a fall that could have been avoided. If you're noticing changes, it's worth speaking to your loved one's GP, who can help confirm what's going on and rule out other causes. From there, you don't need a diagnosis or a crisis to start the conversation with a care advisor too. Acting on your instinct now, rather than waiting for things to get harder, is usually what makes the transition easiest for everyone.

Question 12

What if my loved one doesn't think they need care, or refuses it?

Accepted Answer

This is one of the most common worries families raise with us, and it's completely understandable. Carers experienced in dementia care are used to introducing support gently, often starting with light companionship or help around the house rather than framing it as “care” from day one. There's no single right approach, so it's worth talking it through with a care advisor, who can suggest ways to introduce the idea that fits your loved one's personality. For more information, read our guide to what to do when your loved one refuses care.

Question 13

Is it better for someone with dementia to stay at home, or will moving disrupt them?

Accepted Answer

Familiar surroundings genuinely help. Routine, a recognisable home, and consistent faces all reduce the confusion and anxiety that a new environment can bring. That's the thinking behind live-in care: your loved one stays where they feel safe, with support built around their existing routine rather than the other way round.

Question 14

What's the difference between live-in dementia care and a care home?

Accepted Answer

Live-in dementia care means a carer moves into your loved one's own home, so they keep their familiar surroundings, routine, and often their pets. A care home means moving into a shared residential setting with on-site staff. See the full comparison above for more detail.

Question 15

Is respite care available for people with dementia?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Elder's dementia respite care provides short-term cover, from a few days to a few weeks, so the primary carer can rest while your loved one continues to receive familiar, dementia-trained support at home. Read our guide to respite care for more detail.

Question 16

Will my loved one have the same carer, or will they keep changing?

Accepted Answer

We know consistency matters more here than almost anywhere else. Most people are supported by one or, at most, two dedicated carers who work on a regular, predictable rotation (for example, four weeks on and two weeks off), rather than a rotating cast of different faces. Building that familiarity takes time, and it's usually what makes the biggest difference to how settled someone with dementia feels.

Question 17

Can a carer manage things like wandering, agitation, or day-and-night confusion?

Accepted Answer

Carers matched to dementia cases are experienced in this kind of day-to-day support. If sundowning (increased confusion or agitation later in the day) is part of what you're seeing, our guide explains what's happening and how carers help manage it.  For anything that looks like a sudden change or a medical concern, we'd always recommend speaking to your loved one's GP or dementia specialist first. Dementia UK and the Alzheimer's Society both have specialist helplines if you need guidance outside of a call with us.

Question 18

When should someone with dementia go into a care home?

Accepted Answer

There's no single right moment. It's usually time to consider a care home when needs become too complex for one carer to manage safely at home, for example significant medical needs alongside dementia.  Many families find live-in care meets their loved one's needs for much longer than they initially expect. See the comparison above to weigh up what fits your loved one’s situation.

Question 19

Does Elder arrange dementia care near me?

Accepted Answer

Elder arranges live-in dementia care across England, Scotland, and Wales. Whatever area your loved one lives in, we match them with a carer who moves in locally, so they stay in their own home and community.

Live-in dementia care

What is dementia care?

When is dementia care needed?

Types of dementia care available with Elder