17 Mar Working With Families to Create High-Quality Home Care
There are almost 7 million unpaid carers across the UK and over half of them have been caring for a partner, family member or friend for over 5 years. For many of them the hours are long – many report over 100 hours a week dedicated to care – and there is clear evidence that their health and mental well-being can suffer as a result.
Caring for someone you love is hugely rewarding, but it’s very hard to do on your own. Many carers are supporting loved ones with dementia, complex mental health issues, or physical disabilities. In order for their care to be sustainable in the long-term, carers need support and periods of respite.
Sharing Home Care Responsibilities
It can be difficult for carers to ask for help. Having taken on the role of carer they sometimes feel that requesting support is an admission of failure. Of course, this isn’t the case. Caring is hard, mentally and physically demanding work and carers cannot continue day-after-day without support systems in place. The support family carers need may come from a range of sources:
- Day Care Centres
- Family and Friends
- Volunteer Sitters
- Home Care Visits
In our experience, at Francis House Homecare, carers benefit from having regular periods throughout the week which they can call their own. This isn’t selfish, or weak, it’s simply a wellbeing technique that provides the opportunity to relax and re-energise.
Bespoke Home Care Visits
Francis House Homecare is an established Bedfordshire provider of care services. For over a decade we have been working with families to create high-quality home care. Each of our clients receives carefully tailored care visits which range from check-ins to full live-in support.
We recognise that providing the care that a client requires is all about understanding their unique needs and recognising the contribution already in place from family carers. We see our support as a way to maintain the dignity and independence of clients in their homes, and to ensure the sustainability of the care they receive from loved ones.
Person-Centred Care Assessment
Person-centred care is all about professional carers working collaboratively with clients and their family to determine the health plan that will serve them best. The focus shifts from ‘professional expertise’ to care-focused collaboration.
Francis House encourages care recipients to make decisions about their own health care. Discussions then draw in the perspective of the caregiver, who has a unique understanding of their requirements. Finally, we carry out our own assessment, which includes a risk assessment.
Types of Home Care
The care Francis House Homecare provides is bespoke to the combined needs of our client and their existing carer – because this, we believe, produces high-quality home care. Our trained carers may be checking in, cooking light meals, offering companionship. Alternatively, what may be needed is overnight care, or live-in care for short periods to provide respite.
About Francis House Homecare
Francis House Homecare provides personalised home care for people from 18 years onwards, including the elderly. Our trained staff are compassionate professionals who have a range of specialisms, including dementia care, challenging behaviour, medication management, stoma care and PEG feeding. We are available for as little as 30 minutes, and up to 24 hour caring packages.
Would you like to speak to someone at Francis House Homecare about bespoke home care for a family member, call us today on 01234 841808