What should you know about person centred care dementia?

Care starts with the person rather than only the diagnosis. Their preferred name, routines, culture, communication style, interests, and decisions should guide everyday support. The aim is to preserve choice and dignity while managing safety. A person may need more time to answer, familiar surroundings, clear explanations, or help with one task while remaining independent in another.

Dementia can affect memory, orientation, communication, mood, mobility, continence, and eating. A current change should not automatically be attributed to dementia; pain, infection, medicine effects, dehydration, or another health problem may need attention.

Ask what matters to the person and record useful preferences for carers. Offer simple choices, keep routines predictable, use calm one-to-one conversation, and involve the person in decisions about appointments, meals, clothing, and activities. Arrange a GP consultation to review changing needs and consider practical support. Memory problems or urinary incontinence can be discussed without blame or embarrassment.

Contact a clinician when memory or behaviour changes interfere with daily life, or when eating, walking, sleep, continence, mood, or medicines become harder to manage. Seek urgent help for sudden confusion, new weakness, a fall with injury, severe breathlessness, fever with marked deterioration, or inability to stay awake.

How can we support this person’s choices while keeping them safe? Could a new symptom have a treatable cause? What changes should trigger a review, and which services can support the person and caregiver?