For those looking for home care services, it at first can seem like a daunting task. Do you want to help your family member stay in their home or have them in residential care or nursing care? There are a lot of different aspects to consider when choosing the right type of care for your loved one.
You want quality of life for your family member to be improved after you bring in home care services. If you decide to go with home care, it’s good to know ahead of time what types of services they offer and what will work best for your family’s needs.
To ensure that you choose a good partner there are some key considerations. Read on to discover more about types and benefits of home care as well how to select the right home care services provider in Bath.
4 Types of Home-Based Care
The types of home care offered vary based on what you need so can be completely tailored for you.
Having a care provider working that will work with you to set up a personalised plan of action is a must. They need to have the flexibility to work as a team with your loved one to ensure the right type of high quality care will be delivered that matches their specific needs:
Home Help Services - When the daily routine becomes a struggle, older people can begin to worry that they can’t cope at home with domestic tasks. Home help can assist with basic needs. By maintaining their daily routine carers can help your loved one maintain a positive frame of mind. One of the advantages of home care is having someone directly in the home to help your loved one maintain their independence and bring peace of mind for everyone that they’re regularly being checked in on and supported.
Companionship Care - Loved ones, in particular those who have dementia care needs, sometimes say it feels as if their world is shrinking, they miss social interaction as they get older because meeting friends and getting out becomes more of a struggle. Companionship services involve listening to what your loved one enjoys doing and tailoring their support plan around that whether that’s a coffee with friends, walking the dog, visiting a garden centre, playing chess or pottering in the garden.
Respite Care - Short break respite visits give both of you the time out you deserve, while still giving your loved one the personal and dignified home care they need. From unique to regular visits, respite care visits keep all parties happy, bring a huge amount of peace of mind and ensure everyone gets the break they deserve.
Personal Care - Maintaining a personal care routine is critical to long-term health and keeping up personal hygiene can prevent many illnesses. Personal care is one of the most common types of home care. Some of the personal tasks home care can assist with are bathing, preparing meals, getting ready for the day or bed, helping use the toilet, and other day to day activities. The goal of the caregiver is to ensure your loved one feels safe and comfortable whilst assisting them with their personal hygiene.
Home care visits ensure your loved one is checked in on regularly so any concerns can be flagged early, bringing great peace of mind for everyone.
5 Benefits of Home Care
Good quality of life is important, especially in later life. If your loved one is struggling with daily tasks that used to be easy or have chronic health issues, this can become trickier for them. Having home care can help your loved one still lead a happy and confident life, just with a little extra support.
1) Maintain mental well-being
Not being mobile enough to take care of their personal needs and hygiene can affect your loved one's mental health. A home care service will be able to help them, they'll become more confident with tasks knowing they've got someone supporting them.
Depression is a common occurrence in the elderly, something that shouldn’t be ignored. Recognising the signs of depression in your loved ones is an important first step in getting the help they may need.
2) Companionship
Home care services will also help with your family member's loneliness. In a larger care home facility, people sometimes get lost in the shuffle and don't get the one-on-one care they need. If they're at home, not only will they have their dedicated home care professionals visit, but they will be able to stay connected to their friends and family surrounded by the things they love.
3) Enjoy the comfort of their own home
Being able to stay in their own home or the house of a family member will provide additional comfort. We all know how good it feels to sleep in our own bed after a long holiday. Not having to move into a new environment will help them feel secure and more confident.
You will be enhancing your loved one’s life by keeping them connected to those around them. Your loved one will be able to stay physically and mentally active because they will have focused care in the surroundings they know and love.
4) Peace of mind
If your loved one struggles with their daily routine, it can become stressful for them and you. It can cause family, friends and caregivers to worry, especially if you live further away and aren’t able to give direct help. Getting that bit of extra regular support and making a few adaptations around their house gives you and your family reassurance that they’re living safely, so when you do go round to visit you can spend stress-free time, enjoyable together.
5) Less time in hospital
It’s no surprise that falls and unnoticed illnesses, including Alzheimer’s disease, can lead to increasingly frequent and longer NHS hospital admissions.
Home care providers can introduce daily routines and equipment as part of your loved one’s care plan to keep them safer. Carers work alongside other care professionals to ensure they’re treated at home - reducing the likelihood of a hospital stay and cutting down on recovery time too.
How to Choose the Right Home Care Service
Now that you've decided home care is the route for your loved one, how do you choose which provider to go with?
It's ideally good to begin your research before the care it’s actually needed, that way you're not rushing to make a decision.
Looking on the internet for home care services in your area is one of the first steps. Read reviews online to see what others have said.
There are some really useful online directory listings such as Homecare.co.uk and Autumna.co.uk. Homecare.co.uk also includes independent reviews from past and existing clients, so is a great place to get honest insight.
The CQC (Care Quality Commission), the independent regulator of health and social care in England, website can also help you find which home care services are in your loved one’s area and detail their inspection ratings.
Ask around to friends and family to see if they have any recommendations. Evaluate the level of care your family member needs to help guide your decision.
You can get support with finding local domiciliary care agencies from your local NHS social care team or other independent sources such as Autumna's free advice line. Don't be afraid to ask them for help as they are professionals in the matter.
If your family member needs more intensive care, your research may need to get more in-depth. Once you've selected your top choices, arrange for them to come and meet your loved one at home for an assessment. Make sure you’ve got any questions you’d like to ask ready for this meeting. Abney & Baker have pulled together the Top 10 questions to ask a care provider if you need some ideas of the sort of things you should be asking.
Home Care Services in the South West
Making the decision to bring in home care services can be a difficult one and it is not one to be taken lightly. If you live away from your family it can be hard to trust someone when you're not there all the time. You might think “Is my mum or my dad coping?”, it can be stressful and worrying if you think they can’t cope. A pair of helping hands will support you all and put your mind at ease.
Abney and Baker understand what an important decision this is. We are here with you every step of the way and work with you to make a plan that you are comfortable with.
If you're looking for home care services in Bath, please contact us to as the first step. There’s no obligation to choose use when you call, it’s just important to start the ball rolling so you can fully understand the options available to support your loved one to continue living independently and happily at home.
Our local Bath branch covers Keynsham, Peasedown St John, Saltford, Bath and North East Somerset areas.
Our Coronavirus blog will keep you up to date with the latest official information and guidance on COVID-19 and how to stay safe if you have care at home.
Helping you to continue living independently and confidently in your own home.
By providing a range of support at home, we’re helping many clients across Bath & North East Somerset and West Wiltshire retain their independence and stay in control in the comfort of their own homes.
Remember we’re always here if you want to chat about your care options. Just get in touch:
Call 0333 043 4880 or email enquiries@abneyandbaker.com