Home care has come a long way…

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Published: 29/03/2019

One of the problems when talking to people about providing care in their own homes is that perceptions of how we work and what we offer are coloured by how home care was managed in a previous generation.

Talking with someone who had experience of the sector about 10 years ago, their impression was of a service that looks to be in and out of a client call in as short a time as possible, having covered the tasks required but no more. Well it just isn’t like that anymore, at least not with Right at Home.

You never see the same person twice:

One of our main goals is to establish a long-term relationship between our CareGiver and the client. We understand that a strong rapport and trust with a CareGiver is vital to a successful home care experience, and so we look to match people with someone suitable so that a bond of trust is built between them. It may be that your family need more than one person if the care requirements need more time than one-person can give. In this case the same goal applies, everyone has to be happy with those giving the care.

The visits are just to get the basics done, with the CareGiver watching the clock:
Companionship is one of the key elements of Care giving. There is always time for a cup of tea and a chat. If the CareGiver is the only person our client sees some days, then helping to alleviate the potential loneliness and the impact that can have on mental health and overall wellbeing is important. We put into the services we provide that our CareGivers are a “friend to listen and talk to”. This is why finding the right CareGiver is so important to us.

There is a long list of things the CareGiver won’t be able to do:

Right at Home’s services cover a range of specialist care. We work with clients with many life limiting conditions. Many of Right at Home’s Clients are living with dementia or Alzheimer’s. In addition to trained CareGivers who can cover these specialist areas, we are also happy to accompany your family member on trips into the community, and support those returning home from hospital stays.

I have no idea what is happening with my family member’s care:

Our CareGivers also write up detailed notes that are kept on our electronic system and can be shared with family members, with permission from the client. As we discussed earlier, we don’t believe it’s possible to deliver quality care in a 15-minute visit, so we don’t offer them. This means that the trusting relationship between the CareGiver and our client gives us an insight into how they are feeling.

With Covid-19 restrictions slowly lifting we are starting to be able to get back into the community with our clients. We have as every employer must, completed a Risk Assessment, and this available as part of our latest Covid update. Please get in touch to discuss how Right at Home can help your family provide care for your loved ones.