The AskBart journal
Advice, guides & stories for families.
Clear, jargon-free guidance on choosing care, funding it and supporting someone you love — written by our independent care experts.
★ Editor’s pickHow to Choose a Dementia-Friendly Care Home
What sets a good dementia care home apart — the staff training, design, activities and questions to ask when you visit.
How to Choose a Dementia-Friendly Care Home
What sets a good dementia care home apart — the staff training, design, activities and questions to ask when you visit.
Early Signs and Symptoms of Dementia (2026)
The early signs of dementia, how they differ from normal ageing, and what to do if you’re worried about someone.
The Types of Dementia Explained (2026)
Alzheimer’s, vascular, Lewy body and frontotemporal dementia — the main types, how common they are, and how they differ.
How Care Funding Differs Across the UK (2026)
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each fund care differently — from free personal care to different capital limits. Here's what changes where you live.
Using Your Home to Pay for Care: Equity Release & the Alternatives
The ways a property can help pay for care — selling, renting, a deferred payment agreement, equity release or a care fees annuity — and the pros and cons of each.
Who Pays for Care Home Fees? A Plain-English Guide (2026)
The three ways care home fees get paid — self-funding, council funding and the NHS — and how to work out which applies to you.
How to Talk to a Parent About Moving into a Care Home (2026)
How to open the conversation about care gently, handle the pushback, and keep your parent at the centre of the decision.
Coping with Guilt When a Parent Moves into a Care Home
Why the guilt is so common, why it usually isn't deserved, and practical ways to carry it more lightly.
When an Elderly Parent Refuses Care — or Won't Move
What to do when a parent won't accept help, where the line of mental capacity sits, and when to bring in a GP or social worker.
Extra Care Housing (Assisted Living) Explained
The middle ground between living independently and a care home — your own front door with care and support on site. How extra care housing works and who it suits.
Finding Inclusive Care: Cultural, Religious & LGBT+ Needs
How to find a care home that respects someone's culture, faith, language or LGBT+ identity — the questions to ask and the signs of genuinely inclusive care.
How to Choose a Care Home: A Step-by-Step Guide (2026)
A calm, step-by-step way to choose the right care home — from working out the level of care needed to visiting and deciding.
Caring for Someone with Sight or Hearing Loss
How sensory loss affects daily life and safety, the practical support that helps most, and what to look for in care for someone who can't see or hear well.
Caring for Someone with Parkinson's
How Parkinson's affects daily life, the practical support that helps most, and what to look for in care at home or a care home.
Managing Continence with Dignity
Incontinence is common, often treatable, and nothing to be ashamed of. Practical, compassionate advice on managing it — and the NHS help and products available.
Live-in Care Explained: the Alternative to a Care Home
How live-in care works, what it costs compared with a care home, and who it suits — the one-to-one option that lets someone stay in their own home.
Preventing Falls at Home: a Practical Guide
Falls are the leading reason older people lose their independence — but many are preventable. A room-by-room guide to reducing the risk.
Medication Management at Home: a Safe Guide
How to help an older relative take their medicines safely — from dosette boxes and reminders to medication reviews and getting extra support.
Getting Your Affairs in Order: a Later-Life Checklist
The wills, power of attorney, wishes and paperwork worth sorting while you can — a practical checklist that spares your family stress and uncertainty later.
Care Home Contracts: What to Check Before You Sign
The fees, notice periods, deposits and small-print clauses to scrutinise in a care-home contract — and your rights under consumer law before you commit.
What to Do When Someone Dies in a Care Home
A gentle, practical guide to the first hours, days and weeks after a loved one dies in a care home — the steps to take, who to tell, and where to find support.
Downsizing and Decluttering Before a Move into Care
How to sort a lifetime of belongings kindly and calmly when a parent moves into a care home — room by room, without the overwhelm.
Making the Most of Visits to a Loved One in a Care Home
Ideas for warm, meaningful visits — what to do, what to bring, how to handle difficult moments, and visiting someone with dementia.
Day Centres & Adult Day Care Explained
What day centres offer, how they help both the person and their carer, what they cost and how to find one — the support that lets many people stay at home longer.
Understanding Different Types of End-of-Life Care - An Expert Guide 2025!
A clear guide to hospice, palliative and end-of-life care in the UK — what each term means, where care can happen, how it's funded, and how to plan ahead.
An Expert Guide To Hospice Evaluations: Essential Information for Families In 2025!
A clear, UK-focused guide to how hospice evaluations work, who's eligible, and how families can prepare for and get support with end-of-life care.
The Impact of Animal-Assisted Therapy in Hospice Care
Therapy animals can bring comfort and companionship to people nearing the end of life. Here's what animal-assisted therapy involves, what the evidence supports, and how to check it's done safely.
Retirement Living Glossary: Essential Terms from A to Z
Care and retirement housing come with their own language. This UK-focused glossary explains the terms you're most likely to meet, from housing types to funding and legal terms.
10 Top Mistakes to Avoid in Retirement for a Happier Life - An Expert Guide In 2025!
Retirement brings freedom, but also new risks to your money, health and sense of purpose. Here are the ten mistakes that trip people up most, and what to do instead.
State Pension Payment Date to Change for Millions
Your state pension payment might arrive unexpectedly early in April 2025 - learn why this crucial change affects millions of retired Brits.
Survey Shows 58% Of Care Workers Are Currently Paid Below The National Living Wage
Despite soaring demand for care services, most workers earn poverty wages - exposing a shameful reality in an industry dominated by women and minorities.
UK First’ Health and Social Care Bill to Receive Royal Assent in Wales
Wales defies British healthcare norms with a groundbreaking Health Bill while England's £86,000 care cost cap crumbles away. What changed?
20 Best Cruise T-Shirt Designs You Will Love
Browse these 20 cruise t-shirt designs that will transform your vacation style and make you the talk of every port.
Should You Sell Your Garage Property As-Is? Lessons from Fort Worth
Feet Swelling Causes - An Expert Guide
Common foot swelling may seem harmless, but these hidden causes could reveal serious health concerns you shouldn't ignore.
5 Amazing Black and White Kitchen Ideas You Need to See
Never settle for a dull kitchen when these stunning black and white designs can transform your space into a masterpiece.
10 Chic Ideas for Black Christmas Tree Decor and a Sleek Holiday Look
Unlock your black Christmas tree's potential with these sophisticated decorating themes that transform holiday tradition into modern elegance.
10 Creative Ideas for Easter Party Decor
Infuse your Easter celebration with charming DIY decor ideas that transform ordinary spaces into a whimsical spring wonderland.
How To Get Elderly Walking Again - An Expert Guide
Need help getting your elderly loved one back on their feet? Discover proven techniques for safely restoring mobility and independence.
5 Simple Tips To Help You Get Out Of Bed
Need help dragging yourself out of bed? These scientifically-proven morning hacks will transform your wake-up routine forever.
Pickleball for Seniors: The Ultimate Guide For 2025
With essential tips on gear, rules, and safety, this expert guide reveals how pickleball can transform your active lifestyle—discover the secrets inside!
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Latest articles
Early Signs and Symptoms of Dementia (2026)
The early signs of dementia, how they differ from normal ageing, and what to do if you’re worried about someone.
The Types of Dementia Explained (2026)
Alzheimer’s, vascular, Lewy body and frontotemporal dementia — the main types, how common they are, and how they differ.
The Stages of Dementia: What to Expect (2026)
How dementia typically progresses through early, middle and late stages — and how care needs change along the way.
When Should Someone with Dementia Move into a Care Home? (2026)
The signs it may be time for dementia care, how to weigh up staying at home, and how to plan the move with less stress.
Caring for Someone with Dementia: How to Cope (2026)
Practical tips for supporting someone with dementia day to day — and, just as importantly, how to look after yourself.
Sundowning and Dementia: How to Manage It (2026)
What sundowning is, why it happens in dementia, and practical ways to ease late-afternoon agitation.
How to Talk to Someone Living with Dementia (2026)
Practical, kind ways to communicate with someone who has dementia — and the things it helps to avoid.
Hearing Loss and Dementia: A Connection You Can’t Afford to “Miss”
Untreated hearing loss is one of the modifiable risk factors for dementia identified by researchers. Here's what that means in practice, and what to do about it.
Exploring the Different Stages of Alzheimer's
Alzheimer's disease develops gradually and differently for everyone. Here's what tends to happen at each stage, and how to plan ahead.
Age Regression in Seniors: Facts & Support Options In 2025!
When an older relative starts acting or talking much younger than their years, it's usually a sign of something treatable or manageable — not a mystery. Here's what's really going on, and what to do next.
Understanding End of Life Care for Dementia Patients
A clear, practical guide to end-of-life care for people with dementia in the UK — what to expect, the choices available, and how to plan ahead.