Dementia care at home
For forgetfulness, confusion, wandering or changed behaviour — supervision, routine and trained patience.
What it is
Dementia care is not a stronger version of attendant care; it is a different job. The person may be physically able to walk and eat but cannot be trusted to remember that the gas was left on, or may leave the flat at 3am. The caregiver’s work is supervision, routine and calm redirection — not instruction.
Families often resist the label for months. That is understandable, but it delays the one thing that helps most: a predictable daily structure. A fixed time to wake, bathe, eat, walk and sleep reduces agitation more reliably than any argument about whether memory is failing.
At home, the practical priorities are safety and continuity. The same caregiver for as long as possible, a house that forgives wandering, and a written response for the day the person does leave the flat.
Who it is for
- A senior with increasing forgetfulness, repeating questions or losing track of time.
- Someone who wanders, paces, or tries to leave the house unaccompanied.
- A person whose sleep has reversed — awake at night, drowsy in the day.
- Households where behaviour has changed: suspicion, refusal to eat, agitation in the evening.
What the caregiver does and does not do
Should be able to
- Continuous supervision and gentle redirection rather than correction.
- A fixed daily routine written down and followed every day.
- Full personal care: bathing, toilet, clothing, feeding.
- Safe environment checks: stove off, doors locked, floors dry, no sharp objects within reach.
- Short daily notes to the family about sleep, food and behaviour.
- Accompaniment on walks, with an ID card in the pocket.
Must not
- Argue about memory or try to prove the person wrong.
- Restrain the person or lock them in a room.
- Give sleeping tablets or any medicine not on the written list.
- Handle clinical tasks — injections, dressing, catheter care (those need a nurse).
- Be left alone overnight without a backup plan unless specifically trained and agreed.
Typical qualifications and training to ask for
- Ask directly what training the caregiver has had in dementia or dementia-style support, and how many similar cases they have handled.
- Ask how they respond to specific behaviours: refusal to bathe, night wandering, accusations of theft.
- For night cover, confirm that the arrangement is awake-night supervision, not a sleeping person who will be woken.
Typical cost range
High-dependency care costs more than plain attendant care. Indicative placeholder bands run from about ₹22,000–₹50,000 a month for day shifts and ₹34,000–₹80,000 for live-in, depending on city size and the level of supervision required.
| Hours | Smaller town | Tier-2 city | Tier-1 city | Metro city |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a few hours a day | ₹9,000–₹15,000 | ₹11,000–₹18,000 | ₹13,000–₹22,000 | ₹15,000–₹25,000 |
| 8–12 hours a day | ₹18,000–₹30,000 | ₹22,000–₹36,000 | ₹26,000–₹44,000 | ₹30,000–₹50,000 |
| 24x7 live-in | ₹34,000–₹50,000 | ₹40,000–₹60,000 | ₹48,000–₹70,000 | ₹55,000–₹80,000 |
Indicative price. Placeholder bands pending a provider survey. Prices vary by agency, experience, language and urgency. Last updated 10 October 2026.
Warning signs that a higher level of care is needed
- A fall has already happened, or the person has left the house unaccompanied.
- Cooking is being attempted alone with the gas on.
- Weight loss, dehydration or refusal to eat.
- Repeated urinary infections or untreated wounds.
- The family has not slept properly for more than two weeks.
- Any of these means the current arrangement is no longer sufficient — increase supervision rather than waiting.
If several of these appear together, the need has usually moved to Skilled nurse (GNM / BSc nursing level). The matcher will confirm it from your answers.
How to hire safely
- Choose continuity over price: the same caregiver matters more than the cheapest rate.
- Write a one-page routine (wake, bath, meals, walk, sleep) and give copies to the caregiver and family.
- Make the house safe first: locks, grab bars, stove cut-off, remove trip hazards, ID card in the pocket.
- Agree a missing-person plan with phone numbers, in writing.
- Set a weekly review with the family, and a replacement policy for a caregiver the senior has bonded with.
The full hiring checklist and the questions to ask an agency go deeper on verification, references and replacement terms.
FAQ
Common questions about dementia care at home
Can dementia care be provided at home, or must we use a facility?
Many families manage at home successfully, especially in the early and middle stages, with the right supervision and a safe house. The decision should be revisited when safety can no longer be assured at home, particularly if the person wanders and nobody can be present.
Should we tell the caregiver about the diagnosis?
Yes. Caregivers cannot respond to behaviour they do not understand. Share what the doctor has said, what triggers agitation, and what helps — in writing.
How do we stop the person from leaving the house at night?
Combine environment and routine: door alarms, a fixed evening walk so restlessness has an outlet, no caffeine late, and either an awake night attendant or a family rota. Locking a person in is unsafe and should not be used.
Next step
Is this the level your family needs?
Six questions, about two minutes. You will see the care level, a fair price range for your city, and what the caregiver may and may not do.