Choosing dementia care

What to look for in a care home or service supporting someone living with dementia, the questions specific to dementia care, and where to get expert help.

Published 2026-06-16 · A general guide, not legal, medical or financial advice.

Good dementia care is about far more than keeping someone safe. It is about dignity, familiarity, and helping a person live as well as possible with the abilities they still have. The right environment and, above all, the right staff make an enormous difference to quality of life, so it is worth looking specifically at how a service handles dementia rather than relying on its overall rating alone.

What to look for

• Trained staff: staff trained specifically in dementia care, not just general care, who understand approaches such as meeting a person in their reality rather than correcting them, and who can recognise distress and respond calmly.
• A dementia-friendly environment: calm, well-lit, clearly signed spaces that reduce confusion, with contrasting colours to aid orientation and secure outdoor or garden access where possible.
• Consistency: a stable staff team so residents see familiar faces, which reduces anxiety and helps staff spot subtle changes early.
• Meaningful activity: activities matched to different stages of dementia, including reminiscence, music and sensory activities, not just generic group entertainment.

Questions to ask

• How do you support someone who becomes distressed, agitated, or wants to walk about?
• How do you avoid over-reliance on sedating or antipsychotic medication?
• How do you involve families in care decisions and keep us informed?
• How do you manage the move-in, and settle someone who may be confused or frightened by the change?
• How do you support eating and drinking, which can become difficult as dementia progresses?

Reading the report

CQC reports frequently comment specifically on dementia care and on the "caring" and "responsive" key questions, so read those sections closely. A home can be rated Good overall yet be noticeably stronger or weaker on dementia in particular, and the report and the feedback from relatives in it will often tell you which.

Planning ahead

Dementia is progressive, so think about whether a service can meet needs as they grow, for example whether a residential home is registered to provide, or has access to, nursing care later. Choosing somewhere that can adapt may avoid a move at a point when change is hardest for the person.

Where to get expert help

Organisations such as the Alzheimer's Society and Dementia UK publish free, in-depth guidance and run helplines, and an Admiral Nurse can offer specialist support to families facing difficult decisions. Use that expert help alongside CareRadar, which lets you compare the ratings, scores and histories of homes that support people living with dementia in your area.