Dedicated Dementia Care & Support: Kevin's Story

Kevin was in his 60s when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He was born in Brighton in 1956, and had a career as a bus mechanic. In his spare time, he worked on classic cars, and helped organise car shows in Surrey. He also used his passion for automobiles to raise money through charity events held at Aldershot racing track such as Wheels Day. He was the organiser of this fundraiser every year, collecting money for local causes.

However, after his diagnosis, Kevin lost the ability to carry out his usual daily routines and hobbies. He started to struggle with simple everyday tasks, including making cups of tea for himself and visitors. He was even prevented from driving - a tough blow for a motor enthusiast like Kevin.

How Did Right at Home Help?

Kevin’s family found it difficult to care for him on their own, as his condition meant he struggled to understand why he needed to take medication. 

Kevin had been diagnosed then given very little follow-up support, and his family were unsure where to turn. 

This is when they decided to contact Right at Home Guildford & Farnham. After being contacted by Kevin’s family, we worked quickly to arrange some initial evening homecare visits to assist Kevin in managing his medication and meals.

Maintaining Independence

Kevin had an independent nature. He even had experience living abroad in Canada, where he visited Niagara Falls and started ice skating. 

He was used to helping others - not the other way around. He especially found it difficult to be driven around by other people after being passionate about cars his whole life.

Kevin’s CareGivers quickly identified this and worked hard to slowly earn his trust. Rather than position themselves as helping Kevin, they highlighted how he could help them instead. When driving him to the supermarket, they would ask for his opinion on the best route, and keep him involved as an active participant in the shopping rather than doing everything for him. This helped bring back Kevin’s self-confidence, and his weekly supermarket trips brought back a sense of normality.

As the relationships between Kevin and his CareGivers continued strengthening further, he started to open up and share more about himself. He mentioned to a CareGiver that he had a dream to go ice skating again at the Spectrum. He had taken his boys there every Thursday night in the past and wanted to get his skates back on.

Our Registered Manager, Adriana conducted a risk assessment, and found a CareGiver that could ice skate to accompany him. She called the venue to find out the quietest time and then organised a trip. Kevin took back to his old passion like a fish to water, and his CareGiver tired out much faster than he did.

Taking the time to earn Kevin’s trust made all the difference to his emotional wellbeing and he became more receptive to homecare. With support from Right at Home Guildford & Farnham, Kevin and his family saw amazing improvements in his quality of life and mood.

Relearning Key Skills

We introduced Kevin to the Dementia Support Programme with the aim of managing his symptoms, and to provide his family with the help they needed to effectively support him. Through the collaborative efforts of CareGivers and family, Kevin started relearning some of the skills that he had lost due to his condition. This had a significant effect on Kevin’s mood and wellbeing, bringing back a sense of independence and a return to daily routines. 

In particular, CareGivers noticed the significance that making cups of tea held for Kevin, taking him back to his mechanic days and the close relationships he had formed with his coworkers. As a bus mechanic, he would start every day making a cup of tea for his colleagues, and this became a daily ritual.

His CareGivers used to start their visits offering to make tea for Kevin, but they soon noticed the negative effect it had on Kevin’s mood. They changed tactics, and began starting every visit by asking, “Can you make the tea please, Kevin?”

With a laminated note in the kitchen breaking down the steps, he went about relearning how to make a cup of tea until eventually he could complete the task without any assistance.

With Right at Home’s Help, Kevin Made Giant Strides

After we started supporting Kevin, we noticed substantial improvements in various areas of his and his family’s lives.

Kevin was able to live more independently with visits from CareGivers twice a day. With a little support, including prompts for personal care and help with meal preparation, Kevin got back into a daily routine and could keep living life on his own terms. 

While Kevin initially felt isolated, he started to look forward to the visits from his dedicated team of CareGivers, when they would usually engage in some entertaining and banter-filled exchanges. He also regained a sense of connection to his local community by going on day trips.

Kevin said, “I can see now the benefit of having carers visiting me as it reduces the feeling of loneliness, and I enjoy having a good chat and laugh with my carers.”

With assistance from the Dementia Support Programme, Kevin made fantastic progress relearning the skills that his condition had made him struggle with. Instead of taking over and doing everything on behalf of Kevin, our CareGivers empowered him to carry things out himself. 

Right at Home’s Commitment 

Our comprehensive support not only provided Kevin with the practical everyday assistance he required, but also contributed to a positive shift in his emotional wellbeing, self-confidence and quality of life, while giving his family peace of mind.

At Right at Home Guildford & Farnham, we emphasise the importance of personalised and empathetic care, whatever your situation may be. 

We are committed to offering the highest quality homecare, delivered with dignity and compassion. Our range of services is adaptable and can be tailored to your requirements, routines and preferences.

Contact us to find out more about how we can support you or your loved one.