One way is to look for organisations that have achieved, or are working towards, accreditation through the National Dementia Care Accreditation Scheme (NaDCAS).
Why specialist dementia care matters
Dementia doesn’t just affect someone’s memory; it can change how they communicate, manage daily tasks and experience the world around them. Good care means understanding the person behind the diagnosis, adapting to their changing needs and protecting their dignity and independence.
For many people, staying at home offers comfort, familiarity and a sense of control. Familiar surroundings and established routines can support wellbeing, but remaining at home successfully depends on receiving appropriate care from people who understand dementia.
NaDCAS Assessor Nikki Ayliff explains: “Person-centred care is about kindness, compassion, understanding and insight. And insight starts with listening to someone's story, even when they can no longer tell it in the same way.”
Social care reform: Why the time to act is now
In July 2026, Prime Minister Andy Burnham reaffirmed his commitment to reforming adult social care, highlighting the importance of prevention, a stronger care workforce and supporting people to remain at home wherever possible. His subsequent National Care Service announcement in September reinforced the Government's ambitions for a more integrated, high-quality social care system. These ambitions show the importance of skilled, compassionate homecare that helps individuals maintain their independence and quality of life. Achieving this requires more than good intentions. Providers need knowledgeable teams, effective practices and a commitment to continually improving the support they deliver.
Homecare providers can act now by reviewing their dementia care, strengthening staff confidence and demonstrating the quality of their services. Independent accreditation offers a practical way to evidence this commitment as the social care landscape evolves.
Who are NaDCAS and how can they help?
NaDCAS supports homecare providers to develop, strengthen and demonstrate exceptional dementia care through an independent, evidence-based accreditation process. Their Framework for Exceptional Dementia Care, now specialised for homecare providers, has been developed with leading universities, dementia experts, care professionals and people with lived experience of dementia. It recognises the unique challenges of supporting people in their own homes, from maintaining familiar routines to building trusted relationships over time.
Built around nine foundations for exceptional dementia care, the framework helps providers reflect on their practice, identify opportunities for improvement and deliver more consistent, person-centred support.
What does accreditation mean for families?
For families, choosing a provider that has achieved, or is working towards, NaDCAS accreditation can offer additional reassurance that dementia care is being reviewed against recognised standards.
It demonstrates a commitment to:
- Person-centred support: Understanding the individual's history, preferences, routines and what matters most to them.
- Specialist knowledge: Helping carers understand dementia and respond to changing needs with patience and empathy.
- Independence and dignity: Supporting people to make choices and participate in everyday activities for as long as possible.
- Trusted relationships: Recognising the importance of consistency, familiarity and compassionate communication.
- Continuous improvement: Reviewing practice and strengthening the quality of care over time.
Accreditation is one useful indicator of quality, alongside speaking to providers, meeting carers and discussing how support will be tailored to your loved one's needs.
What should you look for when choosing dementia homecare?
As well as looking for quality indicators like NaDCAS Accreditation, it's also important to ask questions about how care will be delivered day to day.
A good dementia homecare provider should:
- Take time to get to know the person, not just their diagnosis.
- Aim to provide consistent carers wherever possible.
- Involve family members in care planning and communication.
- Encourage independence and meaningful daily routines.
- Adapt support as dementia progresses.
- Invest in ongoing dementia training for their care team.
The best providers understand that great dementia care goes beyond completing a list of care tasks to help people continue living with joy, dignity, purpose, and as much independence as possible.
How does NaDCAS accreditation work?
NaDCAS accreditation is a supportive journey of assessment and improvement, rather than a one-off inspection. Providers work with a dedicated expert case manager to review current practice, identify strengths and areas for development, and follow a tailored roadmap for improvement. Following a development period, an assessment evaluates progress against the framework's standards, with accreditation awarded according to the outcome.
The emphasis is on partnership, guidance and meaningful, lasting improvements that benefit people living with dementia, their families and the teams supporting them.
Take the next step towards exceptional dementia care
As social care reform progresses, providers have an opportunity to demonstrate how they are helping people live well at home. They don’t need to wait for future changes to start strengthening their practice and evidencing the quality of their dementia support.
NaDCAS Homecare Accreditation provides a structured pathway for providers to develop confident teams, improve care and demonstrate their commitment to families, commissioners and other stakeholders.
Start by taking the free NaDCAS Homecare Accreditation Readiness Check. In under five minutes, you can explore your service's readiness and consider your next steps towards accreditation.
Take the Accreditation Readiness Check here, or to find out more, visit www.nadcas.org.
You can also book a free 30-minute discovery call to find out how NaDCAS can support your service here.