01
Use familiar routines
A predictable order, familiar objects and one clear step at a time may help. Avoid changing several things at once unless there is a safety need.
Advice And Resources
Practical support that keeps the person visible
Dementia may affect memory, orientation, communication and daily routines, but the person’s relationships, preferences and rights remain. Small changes can reduce uncertainty and help preserve participation.
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People living with dementia, families and unpaid carers
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Find practical steps that support dignity and ordinary life without replacing professional advice.
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02
Communicate calmly
Use the person’s preferred name, make eye contact if comfortable, reduce background noise, give time to respond and offer simple choices. Avoid arguing about memory or testing the person unnecessarily.
03
Support rather than take over
Break tasks into steps, demonstrate, prompt and allow time. Help at the level needed while recognising that ability can vary during the day.
04
Meals and drinks
Offer familiar food, accessible drinks and regular prompts. Watch for difficulty chewing or swallowing, weight loss, dehydration, changes in appetite or repeated forgotten meals and seek professional advice.
05
Medication
Use the agreed medication system and seek help if doses are missed, duplicated or refused. Do not change medicine or hide it without lawful clinical authorisation.
06
Safety and community life
Consider lighting, trip hazards, appliances, identification, telecare, safe routes and who can respond if the person becomes lost. Controls should be proportionate and should not remove all community access automatically.
07
Distress or behaviour change
Look for pain, infection, constipation, hunger, tiredness, fear, communication difficulty, environment or change in routine. Sudden confusion or rapid change may require urgent medical assessment.
08
Support for families
Ask for a care review, carers assessment, respite or professional advice before exhaustion becomes a crisis. Speaking openly about what is difficult is part of safe planning.
Answers
Frequently asked questions.
Should I correct someone who remembers an event differently?+
Consider whether correction is necessary. Reassurance and responding to the feeling may be more helpful than arguing about facts.
What can cause sudden increased confusion?+
Pain, infection, dehydration, medication and other illness may cause sudden change. Seek medical advice promptly rather than assuming it is dementia progression.
Can a person with dementia still make decisions?+
Yes. Capacity is specific to the decision and time, and the person should receive support to understand and communicate.
When should I ask for more care?+
When current support no longer safely meets Personal care, medication, nutrition, mobility, supervision or family-carer needs.
Is this guide medical advice?+
No. It provides general practical information and does not replace the person’s GP or specialist team.
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