It’s only natural that you have questions

Dementia is not a natural part of the aging process, and can affect anyone of any age. Whilst the disease mainly affects those aged 65 or over, Alzheimer’s Society estimates that of the 900,000 people in the UK currently living with dementia, more than 42,000 are under the age of 65.

Just as liver disease or kidney disease are not age-specific, neither is brain disease. Anyone of any age can be affected by brain disease, and therefore live with dementia.

Whilst there is no known cure for dementia, some of its symptoms can be effectively managed with medication and person-centred care, enabling the individual to live well with dementia.

We’re passionate about providing person-centred care which recognises the person living with dementia as an individual with individual needs, and supporting them to live the life they choose.

A person living with dementia is just that – a person first, who happens to experience the symptoms of dementia. Just like someone living with an illness of any kind, a person living with dementia doesn’t stop having hobbies, interests and things that they enjoy – they just might need a little more support to be able to do the things they love.

Our dementia care and support puts the person first, and helps them to live a full and fulfilling life regardless of the condition that they live with.

Nursing care refers to the higher levels of bespoke care which may be required to support individuals who are living with complex needs or long-term medical conditions. Specialist nursing care is available 24/7 from our team of qualified nurses based in our residential nursing homes.

Nursing care is essentially a higher level of residential care, where the individual needs more support. This is not necessarily as a result of living with a particular condition, but more about the amount of support that an individual needs in order to live well with that condition. For example, an individual living with diabetes who is able to manage their condition with tablets which they can administer themselves, may only require residential care. However, an individual whose sugar levels are more unstable, and whose diabetes is managed with insulin injections which they cannot administer themselves, will require more support and may require nursing care

The level of care an individual requires is referred to as a dependency level. Dependency levels are determined as part of the care assessment which is carried out before an individual moves into a care home. This assessment will look at everything from the support you may need with personal care or eating, to your medication requirements, mobility and wellbeing.

Dependency levels can go up or down, meaning that an individual could in theory move from requiring residential care to nursing care, or vice versa. For instance, an individual who has recently had a hip replacement operation may initially need a very high level of support, but this could reduce as their rehabilitation progresses and they become more mobile. Equally, an individual living with a degenerative condition may initially require residential care, but this requirement could increase to nursing care at a later date.

All of our nursing homes offer both residential care and nursing care, meaning that if you are a resident in one of these homes, you will not need to move to a different care home if your needs change.

It is possible for care needs to increase or decrease, so these are reviewed regularly to ensure that you are receiving the right level of care for your safety and wellbeing.

Five of our care homes offer specialist nursing care in addition to residential care. These are: Calway House and Lavender Court in Taunton, Cooksons Court in Yeovil, Stockmoor Lodge in Bridgwater and Wessex House in Somerton.

For full details of the services and facilities offered at these homes, along with a breakdown of fees, please visit our Find a Care Home page.

Yes, we can certainly connect your smart speaker to the free wifi in your care home so that you can use this in a way that suits you. This could be to control other smart devices, use it to check the time or the weather, or listen to music, for example.

Most smart speakers need to be connected to a personal device such as a mobile phone or tablet, as well as the home’s wifi network. Some may also require an online account to be set up to give you full access to all of the smart speaker’s functions. We are more than happy to arrange a visit from our Care Technologist, who will be able to help you set up and start using your smart speaker.

Yes, we support people living with dementia to enjoy technology of all sorts, from music to videos, and also to complete video calls. We also understand that what works for one person, may not work for another, so our care teams are on hand to provide you with as much or as little support as you need to stay connected, whether on your own device or using the computer and tablets already in the care home.

Yes, of course. Your care team will be able to support you to get the tablet set up, connected to our free wifi network, and help you to make and receive video calls. If you would like us to, we can also make a note in your care plan to check that your tablet is regularly charged up, and is near you whenever you are expecting a call.

Of course! All of our care homes have access to on-demand TV packages, so that you can keep up-to-speed with the programmes which matter to you. You can even bring your Smart TV with you if you like, and we will help you to get this set up in your room and connected to our wifi network.

If you are experiencing an issue with a particular device, such as a mobile phone or smart speaker, we have a three-stage technology support process to help you.

1. Care home support – the team in your care home will be able to carry out initial checks for you, for instance making sure that the device is successfully connected to wifi and the appropriate settings are in place.
2. Care Technologist support – if your care home team are unable to resolve the issue for you, then they will engage our dedicated Care Technologists to investigate the matter for you.
3. IT support – if for any reason our Care Technologists are unable to fix the problem, our centrally-located IT team will carry out further checks to determine the best solution.

If the problem with the device cannot be resolved, it may be necessary to replace it. If the item belongs to the care home, then we will replace it at no cost to you. If the item is your own personal property, for example your mobile phone, then the responsibility to replace it will fall to yourself or your loved ones. Whilst we cannot make specific recommendations on particular makes and models, we can support you with general advice on the purchasing of a new device, if you would like us to.

We all need a bit of technical support sometimes, whether it is troubleshooting a mobile phone, connecting to wifi, setting up a smart speaker, or getting to grips with on-demand TV. Our dedicated Care Technologists are on hand to support you with the set up and use of technology that supports your wellbeing, helps you to stay connected with loved ones, and makes you feel at home.

Residents in our care homes are welcome to connect their tablet or smartphone to our free, managed wifi network. Each device is limited to 5MB, which is more than fast enough to watch videos and make video calls, whilst still ensuring fair usage and making sure all of our residents can access the internet as and when they wish to.

Nothing. We believe that technology is a natural part of everyday life, and that when you move into a care home you should still have all the same creature comforts as you would in your own home. All of our care homes include free wifi as standard, which you will be able to access from all areas of the home, including communal areas and your own personal space.

Absolutely. All of our care homes have free wifi access throughout, covering not just indoor and outdoor communal areas, but also the private rooms of our residents. Once you have connected your tablet or smartphone to the free wifi network, you will be able to make video calls and access the internet from any area of the home.