Pages

Thursday, 16 August 2012

Live in Care For All Ages - Maintaining Support Whilst Promoting Independence

----------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------

By Victor Haywood


As an alternative to costly residential care, live in care is a service where a full time carer will move in with patients who require 24-hour attention. Here they can work with their specifically assigned carer on a one-to-one basis providing invaluable support and an air of genuine independence. Over time carers will begin to feel less like staff members and more like members of the family, the closest relationship some people might ever have.

Other than elderly patients with dementia and other illnesses, younger people might also require the kind of specialist support that is only possible with live in care. Carers will act as their patient's drivers and companions, taking them on days out to places like the local cinema or shopping mall as well as potentially on holiday. Their primary function though, will be to look after their patient's home (cooking, cleaning, laundry, ironing etc.) and attend to the personal and medical needs (physical and emotional) of their patient.

Of course live in care workers also will be trained to deal with all of their patients personal care needs (which will vary depending on the case) and will help with any medication needs. Perhaps the most important factor with younger patients though is that their carers will help them lead a more fulfilling life by providing constant companionship and helping them get involved in the local community, developing a wider network of support and independent living skills.

Putting the right carer with the right patient is a very considered task. At first patients and their families will work with live in care specialists to draw up a 'support plan' that will be used to help asses their situation and find the best carer for the job. Support plans are thorough examinations of a patient's current situation and will involve everything from bedtimes and mealtime preferences to in depth medical information on their condition. There will also be lists of practical and emotional goals that a carer will be able to help their patient achieve.

Not only is live in care financially comparable with the costs of residential care (primarily because there are no rent payments) but it is also a one on one service that will make lives more comfortable and more enjoyable. It should also be noted that when patients are selecting their carers (and vice versa) full profiles will be available for perusal and there will be an intensive 'interview' stage so that they can meet each other before confirming the match.




About the Author:



0 comments:

Post a Comment