Watch: How to talk about care options?

Watch the full Youtube video Series: How To Have A Conversation With Your Parents: How to Talk About Care Options?

In this video this week, we explain what a typical care visit looks like. A care visit, care plan or care package can vary considerably, depending on Mum or Dad, or your loved ones needs. This can also be quite daunting for a first time service user. If someone has never received care before, it is quite unsettling having a new face enter their home. Jennie Bardrick, from Radfield Home Care offers her top tips on how to talk about Care to a loved one and what to expect.

How much care is needed?

The first thing to consider is the level of care that is needed. Everyone is unique and it’s important to have a specially created and personalised care plan made for someone to take this into account. At a meeting with a new care company you may want to speak to your elderly loved one about their needs, what their interests are and what hobbies they have enjoyed in the past. This is all to gain a better understanding of the individual so that the care plan can be person centred to them.

The level of care can range from a very small amount e.g. a couple of hours a week, which may be to help with shopping trips or household chores/admin. This goes all the way up to a more regular structured schedule of care, for example an hour a morning, noon, tea, and bedtime. It could also be anything in between!

What care visits could include

Each care visit can include all different types of activities. For example, a morning visit could involve supporting a client with a wash at the sink, administering medication and then supporting with breakfast. During the day a visit could include going out to a local event or a shopping trip. Or, a carer could simply be popping in to have a cup of tea and a chat together to provide some companionship.

Put their mind at rest

In addition, you could put your parents or loved one minds at rest about receiving care in the home in a number of ways.

Firstly, find out as much as you can about your potential care company’s care team. For example with Radfield, we DBS check all our employees, they all go through a thorough interview process and are trained to the highest standard.

Some companies will also introduce their care team to you at the start so you can be more familiar with the people who are coming into the home. It may be a good idea for a family member to be present for the first couple of care visits, to make sure everything runs smoothly and to help with the transition.

If you want to find out more please get in contact with us:

Contact information

Radfield Home Care
Lisa Cable
01708 609 364

Cervello Financial Planning
Chris Daems
07792 790 058
http://www.cervellofp.co.uk/