World Alzheimer’s Awareness Month: Navigating Dementia Care & Finding the Right Support

When a loved one is living with Alzheimer's or another form of dementia, finding the right care can feel difficult. If you're on that path right now, take a deep breath. We can help you with a clear and steady way forward. 

September is World Alzheimer's Month, so we're sharing practical ways to look past the glossy brochures, navigate inspection scores, and find dementia care that is right for your loved one.

Look beyond the CQC rating

While an official Care Quality Commission (CQC) rating is a useful starting point, a "Good" rating doesn't tell you the whole story of daily life. A rating is a snapshot from a single point in time and won't tell you how the team works on a wet Tuesday afternoon, or whether a care worker will know mum or dad's name. 

When looking into dementia care, look a little deeper into the report. Check out when the last inspection took place to see what was praised or criticised and ask the management team openly about what they're currently working on to improve. 

To help you see past outdated reports, Autumna features OpenScore, giving you transparent, up-to-date data on a care home's current standards, so you can decide based on where a home stands today, not where it was in the past.

Ask questions about daily routines

When looking around touring a care home, you'll naturally focus on its physical features like the size of the rooms, the layout of the gardens, or even the lunch menu. However, for someone living with Alzheimer's, a supportive environment and their individual routines matter just as much.

To get an honest picture of daily life, start by asking what happens at 2:00 AM. Daytime tours show a care home at its most active and well-staffed, so it is essential to ask how many carers are on duty overnight and how they comfort someone who becomes unsettled in the early hours. Pay close attention to staff continuity, because a stable, familiar team builds routine and trust that is vital for someone living with memory loss. 

It is equally important to discuss medication routines, checking how timed doses are safeguarded so vital prescriptions are never missed. Finally, ask how the home prefers to share daily updates with relatives, ensuring you remain an active partner in your loved one's daily life.

The transition from home to care home

Before the move takes place, write a one-page life story for the care team. Detail what your relative prefers to be called, their daytime and bedtime routines, the career they were proud of, and the things that bring them comfort. This quick, practical guide is often the fastest way to help carers see the person behind the diagnosis from day one. 

When packing or sorting through belongings, keep sessions short and focused on one small drawer or corner at a time rather than tackling a whole house in one go. For special items that cannot make the move, take photos and place them in a memory album with a brief note to preserve the story without overcrowding their new space. 

On move-in day, focus on setting up a few everyday comforts before they arrive: position their favourite mug, bring their bedside lamp, and display family photographs at eye-level so the room feels recognisable to them.

Finding clear and impartial guidance on dementia care

Choosing the right care home for a loved one is one of the most personal and difficult decisions a family will ever make, this can be even more so when their loved one is also living with dementia.

At Autumna, we help families search and compare over 25,000 UK care providers with free, transparent, and impartial guidance. 

Call our free advice line on 01892 335 330 or send an email to us at [email protected] and we'd be happy to help you.

Helpful Resources

• Our guide to dementia & dementia care – Explore detailed guidance on understanding symptoms, care options, and daily living support. 
• Autumna's free personalised care shortlist – Get a tailored list of matching providers sent straight to your inbox. 
• OpenScore map – Compare local care homes with live, up-to-date quality metrics.