Comfort, Connection, Dignity & Hope in Advanced Dementia
Welcome to NEAR
Namaste Care Education And Resources is a charity that promotes sensory care with a palliative care approach for people living with advanced dementia. Namaste is an Indian greeting meaning ‘to honour the spirit within’. Joyce Simard (founder of Namaste Care) chose the name because the care programme recognises and respects the uniqueness of each individual. The Namaste Care programme is relatively new, but research shows it enhances the quality of life for people living with advanced dementia and also those who care for them. This charity has been set up to provide resources and education in this often forgotten field of care.
We would like this website to be a source of information and inspiration for everyone involved in looking after people living with advanced dementia, whether they are family and friends, health care workers, people living with dementia themselves, or the interested public.
Through Namaste Care, we hope that everyone living with advanced dementia will have opportunities to experience comfort and pleasure every day. We believe that quality of life matters to the end of life and that everyone deserves to die with dignity and comfort, surrounded by people who love them. We would like to see the Namaste Care programme adopted by policy makers and become a pillar of excellent dementia care.
Our Vision
NEAR’s vision is to provide education and resources enabling care workers and family carers to use the Namaste Care programme to transform the lives of the people they care for. We aim to build supportive networks for anyone practicing Namaste Care. We hope this will encourage care workers / family / friends to engage creatively and develop new ways of providing care. Namaste Care is rewarding for carers and makes life worth living for people with advanced dementia.
Get Involved
Join us in making a difference in the lives of people living with advanced dementia.
Contact us “here” to learn more about Namaste Care and find the information/courses you need to bring it to someone you look after or in the care home where you work.
Donate/fundraise/raise awareness/volunteer in your local community.
What we offer
Our Goals
Educate care partners, working with all those involved in the health and social care of people living with advanced dementia
Provide support to people with advanced dementia and their families
Add to the existing literature and research in advanced dementia
Be an active member of the Namaste Care community, encouraging networking and support at every opportunity