A diagnosis of dementia changes the questions a family asks. It starts with 'what's wrong' and becomes 'what now'. It follows with questions such as: 'What care does my loved one need?' and 'What will keep them safe, and do they need a dementia-specific aged care facility?'
The question: ‘What will help them to remain themselves? is the one that is often overlooked in clinical checklists. Medication schedules and risk assessments matter, but they don't explain why a person with dementia might feel calm in one room and agitated in another, or why a familiar routine can work towards enhancing their wellbeing. This is where Dementia by design principles come into play.
How is it used in practice?
Dementia by design refers to a set of principles used to shape not only the physical environment, but also the way care is delivered. This includes daily routines, and the way in which employees communicate and support the person living with dementia.
These principles are based on the understanding of how the person with dementia perceives the world around them, rather than expecting them to adapt to conventional residential care settings. In practice, this may involve reducing visual clutter and confusing signage, so a hallway feels like a hallway, and not a maze. These principles also apply to daily routines, because the unfamiliarly is often distressing for someone living with dementia. Dementia by design also encourages communication that meets a person where their memory and language actually are that day, not where a care plan says they should be. It encourages the freedom to move and make everyday choices and maintain independence, recognising autonomy matters for everyone, and that includes people living with dementia.
Dementia by design improves the experience of residential care. These principles can be woven throughout the physical environment and the delivery of care to encompass well-lit dining rooms, and clever interactive tools like the Tovertafel which uses light and simple games to draw people into the present moment rather than testing their recall. While used across most Catholic Healthcare settings, It isn't available in every home, and like most dementia-specific tools, it works well for some residents and not for others.
How Catholic Healthcare thinks differently about care
While dementia is considered as a clinical diagnosis with symptoms to be managed, risks to be minimised, and behaviours to be documented, medicalising the person with dementia minimises their lived experience and denies them of their inherent dignity. Catholic Healthcare places the person before the diagnosis, shaping care and the environment around who they are, rather than around their condition. This relationship-centred, values-based approach comes from Catholic Healthcare's Inspirit Model of Care, which treats every resident as a whole person with a history, relationships and preferences. The recently redesigned Chantal Cottage is one example of that philosophy applied directly to dementia and respite care.
The human side families need to understand
The clinical facts about dementia are easy to find. What's harder to find is guidance on the emotional weight of helping someone with memory loss, day to day.
Families often experience a sense of grief as dementia changes the person they know and love. They may mourn the loss of familiar moments, such as a parent who once remembered every birthday or a partner who could tell a cherished story with ease and confidence. This grief is real, and it does not diminish the love and connection that remain.
Supporting someone living with memory loss also involves learning that preserving a person's sense of safety, dignity and comfort is often more important than correcting every mistake. Along the way, many family carers experience feelings of guilt, whether for losing patience, needing support, or not having all the answers.
These emotions are a natural part of caring for someone with dementia. They do not reflect a lack of love or commitment, but the reality of navigating a complex and deeply personal journey. Catholic Healthcare's respite care services are designed to support families through these moments, providing opportunities to rest and recharge so they can continue caring with confidence and compassion.
Person-centred care for dementia
Person-centred dementia care begins with understanding the individual, not just their diagnosis. It means employees taking the time to learn about a person's life, preferences and experiences, and recognising changes in behaviour as a form of communication rather than a problem to be managed.
At Catholic Healthcare, this philosophy extends beyond person-centred care to a relationship-centred, person-led model. Care that is shaped through ongoing relationships between the resident, their family and those supporting them, rather than being defined by a single assessment or care plan.
‘Families are often grieving for the person they know, looking for permission to accept the changes while still being fully present for the person in front of them,’ says Kylie Bennett of Catholic Healthcare. ‘Good dementia care holds both of those things at once.’
As Australia's population ages, more families will find themselves navigating dementia, often for the first time.
This is where Catholic Healthcare seeks to make a meaningful difference. For families exploring care options, the most important question is not simply where care will be delivered, but how it will be delivered. At Catholic Healthcare, we understand that the philosophy underpinning care can have a profound impact on a person's sense of dignity, belonging and quality of life.
To learn more about Catholic Healthcare's dementia care services, or to discuss what relationship-led dementia care could look like for your family, get in touch with the Catholic Healthcare team.