Questions families ask us most

A diagnosis of dementia is not required to access our services, we are always willing to help families find the right support to meet their needs.

We have years of experience supporting people with dementia and their families. We are happy to help you with any questions or concerns. There is always someone at the end of the phone or if you prefer, we can come out to see you to spend time to reassure and support you.

Caring for a loved one living with dementia can be tiring, you often find yourself doing more chores than you used to, with less sleep or rest. It is really important for you to take a regular break for your own wellbeing to stay fit and healthy to be able to continue in your caring role. You may also have hobbies or social activities that a break from your caring role can help you continue.

Give us a call or use the referral link and we will arrange to come out and meet you and go through how the service works in more detail, answering any questions you may have. If you decide the service is for you we would then fill out the paperwork and arrange an introduction visit. Once the weekly visits get started, you soon get into a routine.

Visits are a minimum of 2 hours, it is important you feel you have enough time to enjoy any plans you have made without being rushed. We are happy to extend the length of visits to best meet your needs, particularly if these involve travelling, as that can take away from your break.

The content of visits are person-led, a Care Plan will be written containing specific information of what the person and the carer want to experience during the time spent with us. Visits can take place at home, in the community, or a mix of both. Your loved one will always be given the choice at every visit in the activities they want to engage in and what they would prefer to eat/drink.

You or the person you care for may be unwell, you may have family visiting, whatever the reason give us a call and we can let your Life Story Worker know. If you have holidays or plans and you know the dates in advance, let your Life Story Worker know and they can include this in their diary notes so the system can be updated. If you need to make a one off change to a visit for an appointment or other commitments, we will do our best to rearrange the visit for continuity.

This is very common, not only because it is not something you are used to doing but it also requires you putting trust in people. As visits are regular and with the same person you will build a relationship with them which will overcome the anxiety. Our staff are trained to a very high standard to ensure your loved one is safe and engaged in activities they enjoy whilst you are out.

As we get to know you and the person you care for, we recognise when behaviours or needs begin to change. The Life Story Worker will be happy to chat to you about this, and ask a Care Manager to contact you about changes needed to the Care Plan to ensure we are still meeting your needs. Care Plans are routinely reviewed every 6 months as part of your journey with us.

As well as the Life Story Worker, you will have a Care Manager who is your first point of contact for any questions. We also have an office in Trowbridge with our main telephone line, 01225 282477, which is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Details of each visit are captured in a mobile app, we are happy to share these with you or if you prefer we can leave a diary in your home to record these in. We always record what your loved one has chosen to eat or drink during this time.