At Crouched Friars, we believe that truly caring for someone with dementia means more than attending to their physical needs. It means seeing the whole person: their history, their humour, their preferences and the things that make them feel like themselves. Physical care is essential, of course. But emotional connection is what transforms a care environment into a place where someone can genuinely feel at home.
More Than a Routine
Dementia can make the world feel confusing and unpredictable. When someone is living with memory loss, the familiar anchors of daily life – knowing where they are, recognising the people around them, understanding what comes next – can feel increasingly out of reach. What remains, often long after memories have faded, is feeling. The sense of being safe, being known and mattering to the people who are present.
This is why our team at Crouched Friars invest so much in building genuine relationships with the people in our care. It isn’t something that happens automatically; it takes time, consistency and a willingness to listen – not just to words but to the stories behind them.
What Emotional Connection Looks Like in Practice
Emotional connection isn’t a programme or an activity on a timetable. It lives in the small moments: remembering that Margaret always prefers her tea with just a little milk, or knowing that Robert’s face lights up when someone mentions cricket. It’s sitting with someone in comfortable silence, or following their lead into a conversation that may not follow a logical thread but carries meaning for them nonetheless.
Our staff are trained not only in the clinical aspects of dementia care but in the art of presence – of being fully attentive, patient and responsive to each individual. We take time to learn about residents’ lives before they came to us, because understanding who someone has been helps us better understand who they are today.
The Evidence Behind the Approach
Research into dementia care increasingly supports what many families and carers have known instinctively for years: emotional wellbeing has a direct impact on quality of life. Studies have shown that people with dementia who feel emotionally secure experience less anxiety, fewer episodes of distress and a greater sense of dignity and identity. Connection isn’t a supplement to good care – it is good care.
For Families
If you’re considering care for a loved one with dementia, we understand that handing over that responsibility is one of the most difficult decisions a family can make. You want to know that your loved one will be seen, not just managed. At Crouched Friars, we work closely with families to ensure that the emotional threads of someone’s life – the relationships, the memories and the rituals that matter – are woven into their daily experience and care journey with us.
We’d be glad to show you around and introduce you to our team. Because the best way to understand what we mean by connection is simply to experience it for yourself.