Providing home care is a broad term that will depend on your or your loved one’s individual circumstances. But what is home care or domiciliary care, as it’s also known? In short, it can be provided to the elderly, those who are dealing with a disability, those who are recovering from surgery or individuals who are suffering from an illness. The important factor to stress is that this type of care is provided at the client’s/patient’s home instead of having them attend a nursing home or medical facility. It has been shown that home care services in the UK provide individuals with much more comfort and stability than those who end up at a shared facility. But given the different types of needs, how do you know which type of home care service is right for you or your loved one?
Types of home care services
Personal care services
Whether your loved one requires elderly home care in the form of personal care services will depend on their situation in life. Sometimes, as one grows older, it becomes necessary to get help with personal things such as washing, dressing, going to the toilet, shaving and more. With ultimate respect for the individual’s situation, the care worker, who has been background checked and vetted, can also help individuals with limited mobility ensure that their personal needs are taken care of.
Companionship care services
Loneliness can increase as one grows older and this can lead to issues such as depression, loss of confidence and poorly exercised social skills which we all need to thrive in life. This is where companionship care services come in. They can offer the person companionship to help ease loneliness, practice their social skills and gain a healthier self-confidence through daily interactions. Once again, this type of home care service is performed at the individual’s home and may include frequent outings and other enjoyable activities.
Dementia home care services
With over 850,000 people in the UK living with dementia, it is vital to ensure that the patient’s life is made as comfortable as possible. One way of doing this is with dementia home care services, which ensure that the patient is comfortable in their own homes and familiar surroundings, while making sure that their daily routines are followed for the sake of consistency and to limit and minimise potential issues of confusion and disorientation.
Respite home care
A temporary home care service, respite care focuses on the patient’s caregivers or on patients who have come out of the hospital recently after having various procedures. For the caregivers, it’s sometimes hard to find the time to take care of their own personal tasks or even take a break or a short holiday away from their loved one who is in need of care. Meanwhile, for those who have had medical procedures, they may simply need temporary assistance by a carer with their medication, injections or other recovery-related aspects.
Live-in care services
Much like the name implies, live-in care refers to a care worker who comes to live with your loved one at their home. Some of the advantages of this range from companionship and thereby reduced loneliness, constant care and attention to ensuring that tasks around the house get done, assistance is provided for personal needs whenever this is needed and any other tasks which may be agreed upon with the carer. On the downside, it means less privacy for your loved one as this will entail a new lodger in their home. However, if proper house rules are followed and a good relationship is established with them, this can help your loved one enjoy a sense of stability and have more peace of mind.
Nursing care services
The tasks related to helping your loved one enjoy a comfortable life, including the administering of medication, there are some cases when care by a registered nurse is necessary. This is especially the case after a medical procedure has been performed. Such needs may include injections, the insertion of catheters, stomas, wound care and more. In such situations, a qualified and trained nurse will visit your loved one at their home, offering them the medical attention and assistance which they are in need of.
Why to book а home care service?
Providing your loved one with a dignified way of life as they enter their golden years or as they recover or deal with an ongoing illness is a priceless gift. However, you need to make a careful choice about their needs in order to ensure you provide them with the right home care services in the UK. While the depth and breadth of the service may differ from patient to patient, you have a wealth of options to choose from regarding the best ways in which to meet their needs in the comfort of their own home.
