For those who need some extra support but don’t want to go into a care home, bespoke care at home services might just be the answer. Here are four things that make this care option work well.
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In the 2011 census, people over the age of 65 in Scotland outnumbered those under the age of 15 for the first time.
We know our population is ageing and that provides challenges in how we care for those who are living longer, but who might need help and support day-to-day.
Helping older people thrive at home
For those seeking care services at home in north east Fife, Home Instead East Fife offers services that not only allow older people to stay in their own homes, but to thrive and enjoy companionship from trained carers who can tend to more than their basic physical needs.
Euan Lafferty is director and owner of Home Instead East Fife, which launched last November. He admits that until 18 months ago he thought that the route to a care home was the natural progression.
Euan says: “Now I know that isn’t always necessary, with the right care services at home. We have recruited an incredibly experienced care manager in Jane Fargie, who can see how our approach differs to public sector care.”
For Home Instead East Fife, bespoke care at home should include the following four things:
1 One hour appointments
“It’s important that our visits are one hour minimum, so that we can build relationships and trust,” explains Euan. “There is no way that there is any real rapport if the visit is ‘in and out’ and ticking boxes. It’s more than delivering medication. It’s actually sitting down with the person and making sure we understand their needs and the way they need us to deliver those.”
2 A care manager introduction
“Our care manager Jane isn’t a distant figure,” says Euan. “She will introduce the small team involved in a person’s care, before anyone has made a first visit. That relationship is there from the beginning.”
3 A small and trusted team
“This is an important part of how Home Instead East Fife delivers care services at home,” insists Euan. “We have a small team assigned to each person. So it’s predominantly the same person they will see, but if they are ill or on holiday, then their temporary replacement will also be a friendly, familiar face.”
4 Companionship alongside practical support
Euan explains: “This is much more than the usual carer/person being cared for relationship. When we do the initial assessment it’s not just about what they need physically. We find out about the whole person. Do they like gardening? We would match them with a care professional that likes gardening so they cannot only talk about that but actually go out into the garden and do some gardening with them.
“It’s not just sending someone that just does their job. It’s more about companion-based relationships.”
Bespoke care at home for people with dementia
Primarily caring for those who are ageing, Home Instead East Fife has plans to take its care professionals through dementia training to achieve a City and Guilds or a Scottish qualification equivalent.
“Training will be an important part of the care professional’s journey,” adds Euan. “This is more than a job for them and we want to back that up with training and development.
“Even people who are ageing can thrive at home. They can stay better in their own surroundings. We can offer the care and companionship to allow them to do that.”
Find out more about bespoke care at home services in north-east Fife.
