Making the most of homecare services: Tips for busy families
Published: 17/07/2023
Whilst it is important to be able to support our loved ones as they get older, it can sometimes be challenging trying to balance your life and work whilst also trying to allocate care time to them. Homecare services can offer support at times like this, from managing household chores and running errands to providing personal care and companionship. Here we look at how you can make the most of these services by optimising how they support you and your loved one, whilst also working with your busy schedule.
Prioritise and plan
Initially, you can start by assessing the specific needs of your loved one and the main areas where you both feel they would benefit from assistance. It might include daily living activities such as bathing, dressing, and meal preparation. Or they might include instrumental activities like managing medication, getting to appointments, and household chores. Understanding these needs allows you to prioritise the most essential needs and better understand the required support. Additionally, Evaluating your budget and available resources is a good idea to help determine the level of homecare services you can afford. It's important to balance meeting your loved one's needs with staying within your means to ensure a sustainable and effective homecare solution. With this knowledge, you can start looking at the services in your local area. Right At Home offers a broad range of homecare services in the Alton and Bordon area, including companion care and personal care. They can conduct an initial assessment of your loved one's need, then work with them and yourself to create a care plan that works for everyone. This is a crucial part of the planning process, as it prioritises the needs of your loved one, schedules care hours, and ensures everything is covered, relieving any pressure from your role as a carer. This forms the foundation for the care process, and once you have this, you can work the rest of your commitments around it, knowing your loved one is safe and getting their needs met.
Clear communication and expectations
Clear communication between everyone is important, and you can help to encourage it by scheduling regular family meetings and making it easier by using technology such as group messaging apps. WhatsApp facilitates real-time communication while providing transparency and enhancing coordination among families and caregivers. When you are all communicating, vital information regarding preferences and goals can be shared. It is important to review these regularly, and when you have open lines of communication, this makes it easier. At Right at Home, our caregivers periodically review their client's careplan to ensure that it meets everyone's needs and continues to be effective. Any changes in circumstances are noted so the careplan can be adapted to reflect this. Clear communication also helps support continuity of care and addresses any challenges that may arise along the way.
Build a support network
Whilst your homecare services provider will be able to advise you on any local resources and services that can help, you should also look to your extended family and neighbours to establish a broader support network. It is important to involve others in caregiving responsibilities so that the mental and physical load is not just on yourself. Also, people are often keen to help however, they don't know how to go about it, so advising what they can do to help will make them feel involved. Caregiving can be physically and emotionally demanding, but involving others can ensure that you don't become burned out. Also, having multiple people involved increases the level of resources, expertise, and range of perspectives. This enhances the overall caregiving experience because knowing that more people are around, and should additional help be required, is hugely reassuring for all involved.
Self-care for family members
It is particularly important to make time for self-care when you are a family caregiver, as it can be easy to put all of ourselves into caring for someone else and forget our needs. Right At Home offer respite care services, which are invaluable when taking time for yourself, knowing that your loved one is in safe hands. Caregiving for others can increase stress and fatigue, especially if your daily life is already busy. So, engaging in self-care activities such as exercise, adequate sleep, and healthy eating ensures you maintain your well-being so that you can look after someone else's. This also means you can sustain your care over the long term whilst not burning out. Investing in self-care is not selfish but rather essential to providing effective, loving care for someone else.
If you feel that a loved one would benefit from homecare services and would like to find out more, then why not call Right At Home on 01420 481716. One of our experienced team will be happy to help.
Links to related blogs:
How to know if a homecare agency is reputable
How to know when your elderly parent needs assistance at home
