Dementia Care

Living well with dementia

Personalised care, centred around you

No two experiences of dementia are the same. That’s why we take time to understand each resident as an individual – their needs, preferences, life story, and what brings them comfort or joy.

Our caring and highly skilled teams support both residents and their loved ones, helping each person feel safe, understood, and valued.

For families, this means peace of mind: knowing your loved one is in a warm, welcoming environment where they are cared for with kindness and respect.

We’re committed to going the extra mile, adjusting our care as needs change so that residents always receive the right support at the right time.

Care South Dementia Care Coaches

Our Dementia Care Coaches are a vital part of the support we offer to individuals living with dementia and their families. Specially trained and accredited through our award-winning programme with the University of Worcester, these dedicated professionals provide expert, compassionate guidance every step of the way.

From helping families understand the condition to offering practical advice, emotional support, and links to local resources, our Dementia Care Coaches empower people to live well with dementia. Their passion, knowledge, and person-centred approach make a real and lasting difference to the lives of those they support and their families.

Each of our homes has Dementia Care Coaches, who are trained to mentor colleagues and support families.

A personalised approach to dementia care

Working closely alongside residents, relatives and colleagues, our Dementia Care Coaches help create personalised approaches to care that promote dignity, independence and wellbeing. They provide reassurance to families, helping them better understand dementia and the changes it may bring, while offering emotional support and advice tailored to each individual situation.

They also act as mentors within our care homes, sharing specialist knowledge and best practice with colleagues to help ensure every interaction is compassionate, person-centred and meaningful. Their training enables them to support individuals with complex dementia needs, helping to reduce distress, encourage communication and improve quality of life.

Award-winning dementia care

We’re proud to have received the University of Worcester’s Hennell Award for Innovation and Excellence in Dementia Care. It recognises individuals or teams who have implemented positive change for the benefit of people living with dementia.

Care South won the award for our Dementia Care Coaches Programme, which has so far trained more than 55 Coaches who make specialist dementia expertise available in each of our care homes. The judging panel was ‘impressed that the training could be tailored to meet the needs of individuals, and that the professional development of staff was a goal.’

Karen supports our dementia communities across Care South. With more than 20 years’ experience in social care, Karen brings both expertise and a passionate determination to inspire meaningful change for those living with dementia and their families.

Karen shares what motivates her to achieve excellence in dementia care:

“Early in my career, I felt a strong calling to be a voice for those who may not always be able to speak up for themselves. I felt traditional models of care focused too much on the behaviour of the individual with dementia and overlooked the person, their feelings and what they were trying to communicate. Since then it has been my mission to be a disrupter for positive change, to ask the difficult questions and improve standards of dementia care to make a difference to the lives of people with dementia.

Karen has studied at the Association for Dementia Studies at the University of Worcester, and is currently studying at Stirling University. She’s a firm believer of combining academic research with practical hands-on experience, which is exactly what she is doing at Care South.

I’m so proud of what we have achieved with our Dementia Care Coaches Programme - we’ve applied the learnings from the latest dementia research into a practical intervention that works in a care home environment. We’ve taken our dementia care to the next level and we will continuously strive for further improvements.

Creating nurturing environments

Our homes are thoughtfully designed in line with best-practice dementia design principles to ensure safety and wellbeing, whilst maintaining a warm, familiar and homely feel.

From room layouts, colour schemes and furnishing, to flooring patterns, lighting and signage, every detail of our homes is designed to support the comfort and quality of life of a person living with dementia.

Smart technology, thoughtful care

At Care South, we’re committed to using innovative technology to improve the quality of life for our residents with dementia.
Acoustic monitoring is a discreet, non-intrusive system that uses room-installed sensors to detect unusual sounds, such as calls for help, falls, or changes in breathing patterns.

This means that we don’t have to interrupt the rest and privacy of our residents with regular room checks, and it helps us to maintain a peaceful environment while still responding quickly when help is needed.

Namaste Care - comfort and connection

Namaste Care changes the focus and structure of care given to residents during the later stages of dementia. Instead of approaching care as a process or a protocol, the Namaste Care sessions focus entirely on the person and their experience.

Namaste Care is a gentle ‘holistic’ approach, which can be incorporated into all aspects of everyday life and daily routines. For example , instead of just giving someone a bath to ensure they are clean, focus on the pleasure and enjoyment of the bathing experience.

In calm, soothing spaces – whether in a dedicated Namaste room, a resident’s bedroom, or even the garden – our teams create moments of relaxation using hand massage, aromatherapy, music, movement, or sensory items, all chosen to suit the individual. This gentle, person-centred approach, brings both comfort and meaningful connection for individuals with dementia.

Families often tell us that they see their loved ones become calmer, more comfortable, and more engaged during Namaste sessions.

Research shows that Namaste can:

Every day in our homes is filled with plenty of Food, Fun and Friendship. Whether you are living with dementia or not, our activities are tailored to individual abilities and preferences, so everyone can join in.

Gardening club

Many of our residents living with dementia find joy in creative arts and crafts, often with local nursery children joining the fun to foster intergenerational connections.

They also enjoy live music and singing and gentle exercise like chair yoga, seated football, or music and movement, which support physical and mental wellbeing.

Our gardening clubs and pet therapy also offer opportunities for calm, companionship, and fresh air. We also have our own fleet of minibuses to enable trips out, from favourite cafés to cherished places full of memories.

Stimulating memories with reminiscence therapy

People living with dementia often experience memory loss because the brain is unable to store or retrieve memories as it once did. Individuals with short-term memory loss can find daily life very challenging, leading to feelings of disorientation and frustration.

However, they are often able to recall memories from much earlier in life, which can bring reassurance and reduce distress levels.

Connecting through music therapy

Music is a powerful connector for us all. It reconnects us to important moments in the past, makes us feel more present in the here and now, and connects us with others through shared experiences.

Music has many benefits in dementia care. It can reduce anxiety and depression, promote social interaction which helps maintain speech and language and increase alertness.

Sue and Heather’s story

Sue needed a safe, supportive environment where she could thrive so she moved to a Care South home to be closer to her daughter, Heather.

Sue said: “I suffer from short-term memory loss, which is frustrating, but I’ve learned to live with it. I wear my keys on a lanyard around my neck so that I don’t lose them. Apart from that, I live my life to the fullest.

“With Care South, I feel freedom. I love gardening and even have my own plot to tend. The care I receive is fantastic. I love the people, the sociability, and the food. I always look forward to seeing what meals we’ve got on the menu. The ethos at the home is caring and loving. I feel wanted.” Daughter Heather had struggled to support her mum as her needs increased. She said:

“I was advised to start looking at care homes. When I contacted Care South, they reassured me that they could accommodate Mum’s needs.” Sue visited the home for the first time with Heather, spending several hours looking at all aspects of the home and learning about the personalised care given to residents.

Sue decided that she wanted to live at the home and moved in three weeks later. Heather says that their relationship has been strengthened by the move as she returned to being a daughter, rather than her mum’s carer.

“Now we get to spend some quality time together where we’ll go to the beach or the garden centre and then I’ll drop her back home again. It’s lovely.

“Every time I visit, Mum says ‘Thank you for finding me the best care home. I’m happy here and want to stay.’ She’s got a new lease of life.”

With our heartfelt thanks to Sue and Heather for sharing their experience of living with dementia and explaining how the Care South team have supported them.

What Our Residents And Families Say About Care South

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Services offered

Residential Care Dementia Care Respite Care

Our friendly team is always available to help – contact us to request a brochure or arrange a care assessment.

Food, Fun and Friendship

Our residents continue living rich and fulfilled lives, doing what they love, with the people they love, enjoying Food, Fun and Friendship together.

Our chefs serve freshly prepared, seasonal food, that looks great and tastes even better!

Our homes are places to enjoy life and continue with hobbies and pastimes, within a vibrant community.

Our homes bring people together, through spending quality time with loved ones or by making new friendships.

Which? Guide to care funding

Care can be funded in different ways, depending on individual circumstances. To help explain the options available, Which? has created a helpful guide to care funding, which you can view here: