It can be hard to admit that a loved one needs help. However, in many cases arranging for home care, whether it be live-in care or visiting care, can make life less stressful and more pleasant for everyone involved.
Blue Angel home care in Berkshire, Hampshire and Surrey means your loved one can enjoy greater independence as well as giving family and friends more peace of mind.
Read on to find out more about home care.
What is home care?
Home care is an alternative to residential care. In this type of care, care givers either visit your loved one in their home or live with them. Home care covers a wide range of services, including personal care such as helping with washing and dressing, making sure the correct medication is taken at the correct time, and even things like shopping trips and helping with hobbies.
Care Givers can prepare and serve meals if necessary, assist with continence, perform light housework or simply be a companion to
your loved one. We carry out an assessment in each case and tailor a care package to meet the needs of the individual.
Discussing home care
One of the hardest aspects of arranging home care can be discussing it with your loved ones. Some people are understandably resistant to the idea of needing care, but by approaching the subject carefully and discussing the advantages, an agreeable outcome can be reached.
Highlight that rather than taking away their independence, it will actually increase it. Having a bit of support with things they are finding difficult will leave them with extra time and energy to use on the things they enjoy. In fact, many clients use their home care hours to go for trips out, enabling them to be a part of the community again.
If your loved one is very reluctant, you may find that a gradual approach can work. Arranging for a Care Giver to help them with something they don’t see as too personal can lead to them getting to know and trust the Care Giver, which often leads to them being more receptive to having them increasing the level of care as needed.
Levels of home care
Because we offer individually-tailored packages, the level of home care you choose can be as simple as help with showering a couple of times a week, or as complex as a live-in Care Giver that helps out with all aspects of life. It could also be anything in between, including multiple visits every day.
Sometimes, care is only necessary on a temporary basis, such as recovering from an operation. This is also something we can provide,
helping as much or as little as needed.
Respite care is another option we offer. If you are the main care giver for a loved one, it is important that you get time to look after yourself. A break away from your responsibilities enables you to recharge mentally and emotionally.
End-of-life care is never a nice subject to think about but it is sometimes necessary. Our palliative Care Givers are trained to be compassionate and understanding and will help your loved one to spend their last days in the comfort of their own home.
By bringing in home care at this stage in your loved one’s life, you can relieve the pressure on family members and allow for more quality time together, safe in the knowledge that they are being well looked after.
Choosing a care provider
When selecting someone to provide home care in Berkshire, Hampshire and Surrey for your loved one, of course you want it to be someone you trust. All of our care givers are DBS checked, giving you peace of mind. It’s not just about official checks and training though.
We always do our best to match up Care Givers with clients that have complimentary personalities and interests. We believe that companionship is an important aspect of providing care, so if our Care Giver can chat to your loved one about their favorite sport, are understanding of their beliefs, and can share a joke and a laugh, they are providing another aspect of care that is just as important as their official role.
Cost of home care
You will find that different home care companies have differing price ranges, but when you talk to them you will get an idea of the quality of service offered for that price. At Blue Angel Care, we pride ourselves on our quality of care and the respect we give our clients, and we offer great value for money.
The first step
If you have ascertained that a loved one requires care and have discussed it with them, the first real step is to contact us and arrange a free, in-depth assessment. While you may feel you have a good idea of the level of care needed, our care specialist will be able to get the full picture by visiting your loved one and talking with both them and yourself about needs and expectations.
Our aim is to ensure your loved one maintains the highest quality of life possible, and we will advise you on care package options that provide exactly that.
Get in touch with us to find out more about our personal care at home services.
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