Helping John Stay Independent at Home: Our Dementia Support Program

Living with memory loss doesn't have to mean losing your independence at home. With the right practical supports, many older adults can keep managing their day with confidence.

When memory starts to change, it's often the small, everyday things that become harder first: remembering a doctor's appointment, taking medication at the right time, or keeping track of what's planned for the week. For families, these changes can be worrying. For the person experiencing them, they can chip away at confidence.

What Is the Forbes Care Dementia Support Program?

The Forbes Care Dementia Support Program is an occupational therapy (OT) program, available through Support at Home. It's designed to support older adults who may be experiencing mild to moderate memory loss.

As our Clinical Lead, Bria, explains, the focus is on practical, everyday solutions. Our OTs look at how memory changes are affecting daily life, then recommend supports that help people stay safe, organised and independent in their own home.

John's Story

John is experiencing memory loss, and it was affecting his ability to plan his day-to-day activities. Keeping track of his medical appointments and remembering to take his medication correctly had become a challenge.

John's OT recommended a simple solution: a day-to-day timer. The timer was set up in John's home with different alarms to:

• cue him when it's time to take his medications
• remind him about upcoming appointments.

With these supports in place, John feels much more confident and independent in his home environment.

How an Occupational Therapist Can Help

Every person's needs are different, so our OTs start by understanding what daily life looks like and where memory changes are getting in the way. From there, they recommend supports that fit the person and their home.

1. Assess: your OT gets to know your routines, your home and what matters most to you.
2. Recommend: they suggest practical supports, like John's day-to-day timer, matched to your goals.
3. Set up: supports are put in place in your home so they're easy to use every day.
4. Build confidence: the aim is for you to feel more in control and independent in your own space.

Small changes like these can make a real difference to everyday life, for the person living with memory loss and for the family who care about them.

Who Is the Program For?

The Dementia Support Program may suit older adults who:

• are experiencing mild to moderate memory loss
• are finding it harder to keep track of appointments, medication or daily plans
• want to keep living independently and confidently at home.

The program is available through Support at Home. If you or a loved one already receive Support at Home services, our team can talk you through how the program could fit into your plan.

Talk to Our Team

If you've noticed memory changes in yourself or someone you love, you don't have to work it out alone. Contact the Forbes Care team to find out whether the Dementia Support Program could help, and how to get started through Support at Home.

Call us on 0432 105 609 or email hello@forbes.care.