Living with dementia or conditions that cause memory loss will affect every individual differently, and care needs will evolve over time. Day-to-day challenges often extend beyond memory loss, with communication, general health and overall wellbeing impacted by the condition. It’s crucial that care plans adapt as needs evolve over time, and nursing care will often become an integral part of these plans to manage medical requirements and offer focused support with everyday life.
Nursing care can help manage advanced cognitive symptoms while addressing physical and emotional needs, ensuring people living with dementia and memory loss can experience consistency, as much independence as possible and enjoyment in life. Practically, medication and treatment plans can be medically administered and supervised, which often becomes necessary as conditions progress.
Learn more about how nursing support can be a vital pillar of memory care, how registered nurses can make a meaningful difference to quality of life and where you can seek clinical support or further advice.
The complex clinical challenges of dementia and memory loss
People living with dementia and similar conditions might experience a range of symptoms and challenges, including:
- Memory loss. This may manifest as short-term memory lapses in the early stages before progressing to more severe memory impairment.
- Difficulty communicating. It may be more difficult to find the right words, follow conversations or process information, which may impact communication and the quality and frequency of social interactions.
- Changes in mood. Physical changes in the brain can affect emotional wellbeing, and individuals can shift between moods frequently.
- Changes in behaviour. Mood swings are common, and different behaviours can be a direct result of frustration or confusion.
- Increased risk of falls. Dementia UK identifies that people living with a cognitive impairment are two to three times more likely to fall and sustain a serious injury.
- Difficulties carrying out everyday activities. Everyday tasks such as dressing, preparing meals and walking can become increasingly difficult to do safely.
- Decreased confidence and independence. Unfamiliar situations or changes in routine may become more difficult to cope with, and the world can feel worrying or overwhelming.
With dementia, the chance of having other health conditions also increases. Almost seven in 10 people living with dementia are also managing at least one other health condition, because many of the underlying risk factors are shared. Conditions can include:
- High blood pressure
- Depression
- Coronary heart disease
- Stroke
- Diabetes
Living with other health conditions can make clinical care more challenging, and potentially necessary at an earlier stage.
How can nursing care make a meaningful difference?
People living with dementia and memory loss can be affected by a number of challenging experiences, so interconnected support networks that include experienced medical professionals are so important. Dementia nurses are trained to provide psychological support, helping people through the complex emotions and increasing confusion brought about by the condition.
In the early stages of dementia or memory loss, personal or physical care may provide everything that an individual needs. As symptoms progress, this is usually when nursing care becomes part of the picture, to ensure medical factors are also accounted for and needs can be met holistically. However, if dementia and memory loss are accompanied by other health conditions, nursing care can be necessary sooner to ensure an individual’s health is monitored and managed proactively.
What care can registered nurses provide?
Registered nurses can offer a valuable perspective on care for those living with dementia and memory loss, bringing extensive clinical expertise and experience. As needs become more complex, they can provide skilled nursing interventions while caring for and respecting the person and their wishes.
Depending on individual requirements, nurses can provide:
- Clinical oversight of care programmes, ensuring needs are continually assessed and care plans amended accordingly
- Medication administration and management, ensuring medicines are reviewed and monitored regularly
- Ongoing health assessments to pre-empt physical and cognitive changes, and adapt care to meet developing needs
- Management of ongoing conditions including diabetes, heart conditions and Parkinson’s
- Wound care, pressure area management and support with maintaining skin integrity
- Nutritional support, monitoring food and fluid intake and offering support with swallowing difficulties
- Continence assessments and support, ensuring dignity and a sensitive approach
- Falls prevention and mobility assistance
- Coordination with GPs, physiotherapists and other healthcare professional for a multidisciplinary approach
Recognising when nursing care may help
You may wish to consider nursing care if your loved one:
- Is finding it increasingly difficult to manage medication safely
- Has developed health conditions alongside dementia or memory loss that require regular monitoring or treatment
- Is experiencing reduced mobility or having frequent falls
- Requires support with wound care or has other ongoing clinical needs
- Has become more susceptible to infections or dehydration, or finds eating or swallowing difficult
- Needs more assistance with everyday activities than can safely be provided at home
- Has recently been discharged from hospital and requires rehabilitation
- Would benefit from continuous clinical oversight as dementia symptoms become more advanced
Seeking nursing care provides access to experienced professionals who can adapt as needs change, helping individuals to continue living with comfort, dignity and reassurance.
Respite nursing care
Caring for someone living with dementia can strengthen family connections and bring many meaningful moments, but it can also be physically and emotionally demanding. Respite nursing care can offer a solution following a hospital stay, during illness or when caregivers need temporary support.
Short-term nursing care can also provide reassurance for families who are considering longer-term care in future. It offers an opportunity to experience a residence, meet the nursing team and understand how specialist dementia care can support both current and evolving needs.
For many families, respite nursing care provides reassurance that their loved one can continue receiving high standards of care, while giving them the time and support they need to manage their own wellbeing.
Involving loved ones in nursing care
Families and loved ones are an integral part of the care journey and should be involved in nursing care wherever possible. Families know their loved ones best and can provide valuable information and context, and studies have shown that family involvement can be associated with positive quality of life benefits.
Experienced registered nurses are highly trained and best placed to help families navigating the journey with their loved ones, offering:
- Coaching in communication skills and techniques to promote family connection
- Practical guidance proven strategies so families can support and comfort loved ones through memory loss
- Mental health advice for loved ones and family caregivers
Seeking nursing care for people living with dementia and memory loss
With dementia and memory loss, symptoms increase over time and other health conditions may also become a factor when making care decisions. You can arrange an NHS care needs assessment, which can illuminate needs you may not have considered.
Care at home can support people living with memory conditions to remain in a familiar environment and maintain as much independence as possible. This may consist of a combination of home visits, nursing care and medical appointments, perhaps with involvement from loved ones or other community support.
As conditions progress, you may consider residential care for the safety and comfort of the person living with dementia or memory loss. It’s important to look for specialist settings with a deep knowledge of memory care that can provide wraparound support now and into the future. Even if nursing care isn’t required now, selecting a setting that can provide both residential and nursing care will avoid disruption as needs change.
If you would like to know more about nursing care for people living with dementia and memory loss, talk to our Relationship team, who will gladly take the time to answer your questions in detail and explain exactly how nursing care can be tailored to each individual.
