Articles by Dr Jamie Wilson
Dr Jamie Wilson is hometouch’s founder and Chief Medical Officer. Jamie’s creation of hometouch was inspired by his work as a dementia psychiatrist in the NHS, and he has written about healthcare issues in The Times and the Evening Standard. Jamie has a MBBS from the University of Leeds and has spent a decade in the NHS, working as a Psychiatric Registrar and Memory Specialist at Imperial College Hospital.
Waking Nights: A Guide for Care Live in Carers
If you are a live-in carer or aspire to be one, you may be interested in knowing what’s it like working nights and waking nights in live-in care. For care workers doing night jobs, this article will answer some of the common questions that come up when considering night work. Speak to one of our knowledgeable care advisers about Hometouch’s high quality live-in care service Book call Tell us your care needs Who Is Overnight Care For? The clients for overnight care are usually elderly individuals who have difficulty performing basic tasks by themselves. This usually involves going to the toilet by themselves, changing positions during the night and more. Many times, these individuals may have reduced mobility and/or vision and are at risk to suffer serious injury if they have a fall. This can be an especially risky situation if they encounter such an event during the night when…
What is Alcohol-related Dementia?
Excessive alcohol use is known to have a direct detrimental effect on the brain and its functionality. Some effects of alcohol abuse include memory loss, poor judgement, indecisiveness, and lack of insight, all of which lead to struggling in daily tasks. This phenomenon is termed Alcohol Dementia/Alcohol-induced Dementia/Alcoholic Dementia/Alcohol-related Dementia which is a type of alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD). Speak to one of our knowledgeable care advisers about Hometouch’s high quality live-in care service Book call Tell us your care needs These dementias can be caused by long-term alcohol abuse. To make matters worse, nutritional deficiencies often accompany prolonged alcohol abuse. This becomes a synergistic factor in the deterioration of brain cells. This means that excessive alcohol can cause early-onset dementia. However, it is important to note that Alcohol-related dementia progression is reversible. Also, that moderate alcohol consumption does not lead to any kind of dementia or loss of cognitive…
Medications That Worsen Dementia and Increase Dementia Risk
What Medications Make Dementia Worse? Many of us are familiar with what dementia is, or at the very least, have heard the term. The medical model of dementia perceives it as a symptom of various brain diseases, characterised by losing the ability to memorise or remember things. In severe cases, there are significant behavioural changes and the patient may be unable to perform the simplest of the tasks. Speak to one of our knowledgeable care advisers about Hometouch’s high quality live-in care service Book call Tell us your care needs However, dementia can be treated with the correct medication, and several medication classes for dementia as well as medical interventions for dementia exist. While dementia medication in the UK works to treat dementia, and medication aids for dementia and are widely prescribed as medications to treat dementia, some routinely used non-dementia medications can aggravate dementia if not taken carefully. We…
Would you like to know more about Hometouch's high quality live-in care service?
Dementia and Eating Problems: Why Do Dementia Patients Stop Eating?
People with dementia can have problems eating, drinking, swallowing, and chewing food. Caregivers and family members of people living with dementia need to be aware of these potential challenges when caring for them at home. There are many ways to address this problem, with some of them being medication adjustments, diet changes, or even simply giving the caregivers more time to assist them at mealtimes. No matter what you do, it will help tremendously if the patient can be eased into accepting your solutions as something they need and want rather than something forced on them by someone else. This article discusses how caregivers can help dementia patients overcome their problems with food intake by implementing some simple strategies. Chewing and Swallowing Problems Individuals with dementia often suffer from an inability to chew or swallow properly and experience throat pain that accompanies many medical conditions. And as we all know,…
Speak to one of our knowledgeable care advisers about Hometouch’s high quality live-in care service
Benefits of Live-in Care for Dementia Patients
Dementia is a condition that affects the brain and can lead to memory loss, difficulties with communication, and problems with spatial awareness. As it progresses, people with dementia will need more care from their family members or caregivers to manage day-to-day tasks. Alzheimer’s is the most widespread form of dementia, affecting 50 to 75% of diagnosed people. Other common types of dementia include vascular dementia, Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. Dementia is devastating for those afflicted and their families, and it can be a struggle to provide the level of care needed. Often a family member will sacrifice their own health as they try to meet all the needs of their loved one, leading to burnout. One solution that many people consider is live-in care for dementia patients. This form of dementia care provides around-the-clock support, providing peace of mind in knowing that there will always be someone…
What is aggressive behaviour in dementia?
Aggression is a common challenging behaviour seen in dementia patients. Aggressive dementia can manifest in the physical or verbal form. Physically, patients may attack the caregiver. They can hit and throw objects, kick, pinch and scratch, bite and pull hair. Verbally, they may become abusive and curse, yell insults and threaten the caregiver. This behaviour is very disturbing for both the patient and family. The severest form of aggression in the dementia patient is physical aggression. Residing in a community, this type of behaviour has serious consequences. This aggression may lead to mental suffering, injury, hospitalisation, and increased need for an assisted living or admission to institutional care settings. Aggression in dementia patients can affect the carer too, increasing their burden and causing other consequences. The carer may become depressed, mentally exhausted, or maybe injured because of an assault, which may in turn lead to elder abuse. What are the…
What to Do When an Elderly Parent Refuses Help
6 tips that can help you to cope if an elderly parent refuses help, including different approaches to care, giving back control, and light-touch tech solutions. How to move forward if an elderly parent refuses help The slow realisation that your…
Dementia Care: What is Sundowning?
What is sundowning? Sundowning and dementia are terms often heard together. Sundowning dementia syndrome, also known as late-day confusion, is characterised by a set of symptoms occurring specifically in the late afternoon or early evening. Simply put, sundowning in dementia patients is unexplained agitation and confusion at a certain time of the day. So, sundowning means dementia worsening at the time of sunset. Sundowning Dementia: Causes The exact mechanism behind sundowning in dementia is still unknown. Numerous theories have been presented explaining its causes. According to one, sundowning dementia is related to a disturbance in the circadian rhythm. The circadian clock is the body’s natural clock that detects the sunset and sunrise timings and decides the daily activities accordingly. It tells the person when to sleep, wake, eat and do other activities. When this clock is disrupted, sunset affects dementia negatively and makes it worse. According to another theory, dealing…
At What Point Do Dementia Patients Need 24 Hour Care?
Being a family member of a dementia patient, it may become difficult to decide at what point your loved one needs 24-hour care. Living with dementia patients is not easy. They need constant support, care, and look after. Delivering them safe care is not easy either. At some point, you may feel burn out and may need help yourself. Instead of taking pressure and feeling the guilt of not giving the care to your loved ones that they deserve, you can always hire a professional caregiver. If your beloved one has dementia then this article is specifically for you to recognise the signs for 24-hour care. Here are some signs that will aid in determining the right time to hire a caregiver. Aggressive behaviour in dementia patients: You should not take the signs of aggression and agitation lightly in the dementia patient. Often your loved one displaying aggressive behaviour is…
Live-in Dementia Care or Care Homes: What’s the Difference?
People with dementia, as well as their loved ones, struggle with a variety of problems on a daily basis. The affected person experiences issues with their cognition and memory, which is confusing and frightening, while the family and friends around them need to stay vigilant, caring and attentive. More often than not, dementia comes with other health problems, and all that might result in the need for professional help. It is not only about the right hard skills. Frequently, people with dementia require constant (or almost constant) care, which their loved ones can’t provide because of their job or family responsibilities. While some people might still think that letting a stranger take care of a member of their family is not a good idea, such a way of thinking is slowly becoming a thing of the past. No one is abandoning anyone in these situations. Society’s perception of carers is…
Apply for live-in care jobs
Hometouch has been one of the best companies I have worked for in the care sector! I have always been told I’m appreciated and been made to feel like it too. I’m so happy to be a part of the Hometouch team
Shaheen
£750 - £900 per week. Double bank holiday pay
You choose your own clients
Clinical support
Free training, webinars and supervision