"The change in my Dad has been nothing short of remarkable"

I wanted to share my recent experience of input for my father who has dementia and is in a care home. I was concerned about the change in my Dad's presentation which included low mood, increased agitation and resistance to personal care.

Following discussion with the Care Home, I contacted the local Care Home Mental Health Liaison Team where I first spoke to the amazing Kerryanne. She listened to my concerns and asked questions to better understand my Dad and what I hoped might be possible. Throughout all our telephone conversations she was very empathetic and always ensured I was involved in the decisions about his care. She took the time to learn more about my father to support her interactions with him when she was undertaking her visits and asked questions to make sure she understood what was important both to my Dad and to his family.

My interactions with Kerryanne gave me hope when it felt like a very bleak situation and her very positive nature and caring approach towards my Dad was very reassuring.  Kerryanne has been supporting my Dad for several months now and along this journey she has kept in regular contact with myself and has ensured I have been involved in the decisions made about his care, always explaining the rationale and different options available.

She has listened to me and taken my views and concerns into consideration. She has taken a very person centred approach which has involved working with the Care Home staff to better support my father as well as formulating a plan to introduce medication and making suggestions of things we could do to help staff within the Care Home engage Dad and activities to help with his agitation.

The change in my Dad over the period of time Kerryanne has been involved with his care has been nothing short of remarkable. Staff within the Care Home are now able to deliver personal care which Dad is accepting of and as a family we have been able to have meaningful interactions when visiting as Dad is much more settled and his mood have improved.

We are on a journey as Dad's disease progresses but I cannot express enough my gratitude to Kerryanne for the difference she has made to both my Dad and our family as a result of the changes in my Dad.