HC-One’s family of care homes across England, Scotland and Wales offer a wealth of experience in dementia nursing care. Mary*, who lives in one of our nursing dementia care homes, has given us an insight into what a typical day looks like for people living with dementia in our care homes.
7:30am: Rise and shine
Mary wakes up on a bright and sunny morning. It’s a peaceful time, and the first thing she hears is the sound of birds singing in the garden. One of the Care Assistants asks Mary if she would like a shower, before helping her to brush her teeth and get dressed for the day ahead.
While Mary gets dressed, the pair chat about the wellbeing activities coming up that week, including animal therapy and bingo. Mary is very happy to hear this, as she often enjoys a round of bingo with her fellow residents.
8:30am: A hearty breakfast
Breakfast is one of Mary’s favourite meals. With plenty of tasty, home-cooked dishes on the menu, she has lots to choose from to help set her up for the day. With it being so sunny, Mary decides to sit in the outdoor courtyard to watch the ducks in the garden, which reminds her of life on her farm many years ago.
Mary has always loved a traditional full English breakfast, so this is her usual choice. She doesn’t like tomatoes, so the Chef cooks up a breakfast to suit her taste, complete with sausage, bacon, and beans. Mary enjoys her breakfast in the sunshine, which she washes down with a strong cup of coffee, made just how she likes it, and finishes off with a bowl of cornflakes. Once Mary has finished eating, the Chef pops back outside for a quick chat with her to check she enjoyed her breakfast.
10am: Pottering at the post office
Mary takes a seat in the lounge to watch her favourite breakfast TV show and enjoys a chat with her fellow Residents. A Care Assistant then accompanies Mary on a trip to the home’s post office, where she helps her write a letter to her family before buying a jar of sweets from the shop. The post office is a popular spot in the community – and HC-One’s dementia care homes aim to replicate every day environments and scenarios to encourage stimulation and engagement for people living with dementia.
She is then asked if she would like to go back to the lounge for a knit and natter with some other residents – a well-known hobby of Mary’s. She gets comfortable in the lounge as she gets to continue working on a dress that she’s creating.
12:30pm: Lunchtime
Mary cannot wait for her lunch once she sees her favourite meal on the menu – fish and chips. Usually, she chooses to eat her lunch in her favourite, cosy spot in the dining room, but today she fancied a change of scenery! So she enjoyed her lunch together with her friends, in the home’s own ‘pub’ with a nice glass of wine.
2pm: An afternoon visit
After lunch has settled, Mary’s niece stopped by for one of her weekly visits. The pair have a lovely catch up over a cup of tea and a delicious slice of homemade cake.
3pm: And…relax
It has been quite an eventful day! So, once Mary wishes farewell to her niece, she takes a seat in the lounge to relax and watch some TV. Our Care Assistants let Mary know that her favourite program, Countdown, is about to start, so Mary watches the show with some of the other residents. She loves trying to guess the conundrums, and she even sparks a bit of competition within the home on who can make the longest word.
Once the show comes to an end, Mary is accompanied to the home’s hairdressing salon. She enjoys a therapeutic pamper session and admires her new hair, before getting ready for dinner.
5pm: Good food, good mood
Mary is starting to feel a bit peckish and greets her fellow residents in the dining room as she joins them for an evening meal.
Most days, Mary prefers a sandwich for her evening meal rather than a hot dinner, so the Chef is always prepared to make Mary a sandwich of her choice if she does not fancy anything on the main menu. She enjoys her sandwich with a warm cup of tea and a natter.
7pm: A perfect end to the day
As the day draws to a close, residents let their food settle and wind down after a busy day. Mary gets ready to watch Coronation Street, one of her much-loved shows, while chipping away at her knitting.
As Coronation Street comes to an end, Mary enjoys a tipple of sherry before heading back to her bedroom to get ready for bed. Care Assistants help Mary get dressed into her nightwear and asks if she would like to get her outfit out ready for the next day. This is something Mary always used to do before moving into the care home, which is why we asked her. Mary says yes and, with the Care Assistant’s help, she lays out her clothes for the next day ahead.
Dementia care at HC-One
At HC-One, our kind, caring teams are specially trained to care and understand the needs and aspirations of each individual living with dementia in our care homes - providing them with the kindest possible care and person-led support.
We also have homes offering nursing care for older people living with dementia, who have additional health needs that require care and support from qualified nurses.
For more information about our dementia care homes in your area, please contact our friendly Careline team on 0333 999 8699
*We have used a different name for Mary