From one continent to another: reflections on working in residential care

Maryam Adeyemo shares her experience working with people with dementia living in residential care, reflecting on what she has observed and learnt.  

Introduction – encountering person-centred care 

My journey as a healthcare support worker started back in my home country of Nigeria, hence my thought about working as a support worker, as well as studying in the UK, would be the icing on the cake for me. I managed to get a job with a care home a few months after my arrival in the UK. The home was mainly for people with dementia. I was elated as I had experience of working with people with dementia, as well as other mental issues, back home in Nigeria. 

When I started work, the situation was quite different from what I had envisaged; from staff who did not act like I was new, to residents who found it difficult to interact. I had to undergo a lot of training which made the job more challenging than I thought as all staff practiced a form of care called Person-Centered Care (PCC). 

One fateful day, I summoned the courage to go to the senior’s office and poured my heart out to her because I was struggling with PCC. She responded with a smile and said to me ‘you will be alright’ and lo and behold, I was ‘alright’ in the end. She discussed with me at length about what PCC means and how important its practice is in health and social care settings as the care of each person is tailored around their needs. Care is not provided for all patients generally, as it was being done in my former workplace. 

Over time, with training provided every three months, including staff from other homes, it has made me realise how important, effective and efficient the practice of PCC is in care homes especially in dementia care. 

Using person-centred care in practice – examples 

I carefully familiarised myself with each (and all) of the residents and learnt how age, gender, and ethnicity all relate to PCC. For example, there was a woman in her late 60s called Bev (not her real name). She only allowed male staff to do her personal care but allowed a female to support her in cooking, eating and other support needs. This is because she had a soft spot for men so when a female staff who did not know this approached her for personal care, she became extremely aggressive.  

Another example was the case of a male resident who found it difficult to locate his room after he went downstairs to have a meal, resulting in him going into a rage. To address this, his picture was pasted on the door of his room, which enabled him to easily find his room easily, thereby remaining calm.  

PCC helped me understand how getting to know Bev and the male resident as individuals, made these personalised approaches effective. 

As time went by, I was privileged to work in another care home which is a supported living for people with dementia, including both old and young residents. I was mesmerised when I saw people aged 50 and younger who have dementia as this was very unfamiliar to me; I had thought dementia was only common in older people. This made me investigate further by researching and reading more about dementia. The care plans of these residents included their life history and the cause of their dementia (if known).  

An Asian man, aged just 46, was diagnosed with dementia when he was in his early 40s. He was in a relationship with a lady who died tragically in a car accident, resulting in him suffering severe strokes. After extensive medical treatment, he got better, but the news of his partner’s death struck him with another hard blow, and he was diagnosed with young-onset dementia (also known as early onset dementia).  

He was often hostile towards staff and barely spoke to anyone until the management decided to employ an Asian staff member, who got to know him well, speaking to him only in Urdu. The man felt comfortable around this staff member, though only allowed Asian staff to do his personal care. As time went by, the management of the care home employed two more Asian staff and things gradually changed for better; they realised that the man was only calm when he was supported by Asian staff. 

Visits from families and loved ones are encouraged at my workplace and visiting times are not restricted. Residents with dementia appreciate having their loved ones around, and this makes providing their care much easier. For example, one of the residents who has dementia and is non-verbal communicates better with staff whenever her daughter visits with her dog. Whenever the resident feels detached or withdrawn from the activities in the home, staff ring her daughter to ask her to visit with her dog, to make her feel better.  

Developing skills in dementia care 

I have been fortunate to work with several members of staff who have many years of experience caring for people with dementia and other areas of mental health. Speaking to them about their experiences shows me how PCC is the best form of dementia care.  

Patience is a key skill of a support worker because difficulty in supporting people with dementia can be attributed to their dementia symptoms. These symptoms include forgetfulness, confusion, fear, and sometimes anxiety. Thus, as a support worker, I always try to make service users feel safe, supported, and less anxious.  

Another key skill I have learned in my practice as a support worker in a dementia setting is communication. Due to the complexity of dementia and differences in each service user, I familiarise myself with different forms of communication. This includes written, verbal, and non-verbal communication. In several cases, I use pictures and graphics to communicate with service users. This is in keeping with skills involving patience, as communication requires patience. My communication skills are also based on listening. Regardless of whether a service user is making an incomprehensible point, I always look to listen and understand them while providing care. 

Conclusion 

Person-centered care in care homes should be a globally recognised form of care as it involves caring for individuals who are especially vulnerable. It enables them to express their needs and wants according to their personality, bridging the gap between more generalised forms of care while showing empathy to patients. PCC enables staff and people with dementia to work together in partnership, while supporting people physically, emotionally, and ethically. 

Acknowledgement 

The author would like to thank Dr Jennifer Lim for her support and encouragement in writing this article.

Adeyemo, M. (2026) ‘From one continent to another: reflections on working in residential care’, Journal of Dementia Care, 34(5) pp.18-19.