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Care Home VS Home Care

What's best for me?

CHOOSING WHAT'S BEST...

Most of us want to get old in our own homes surrounded by family members and good memories of our life time. Being at home becomes difficult when we get older, having to make adjustments to our homes is never easy.

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All starts from a fall or illness that take us to hospital which forces us to ask for help if we want to remain at home.

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But is home the right place for us as we get older or should we go into a care home?

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The most important things that helps us age well are being active and sociable. The increasing loneliness and isolation that many of us face in old age are going hand in hand with increased levels of dementia and Alzheimer’s.

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When deciding what to do it is important to keep this in mind but finding the right solution will depend on our personal circumstances, health, and character as outlined in our article  ‘Where to Start? A short guide to

Walk with Walking Aid

Home Care

Advantages Of Home Care

Reduce stress and increase stability 

Staying at home means stress free, you can maintain your routines and know where everything is. Your network of support remains the same, whether that’s your GP Surgery you been going too for years or your friendly people in the local shop. When becoming confused, you can re-orientate yourselves quicker as you are familiar with the surrounding in your home and the experience is less frightening.   

 

Stay Independent

It is easier to maintain your independence at home as you stay close to what’s familiar to you and can keep to own routines and choices of who looks after you, what care they provide and how often they come. Having to do things for yourself, whether this is to walk to the shop for the newspaper or make a cup of tea, forces you to stay active for longer. Hearts Kindcan support with experienced carers to step in and help. 

 

Enjoy your life fully

Being at home enables you to carry on seeing friends and family and enjoy their company as much as possible. Your beloved pets can continue living with you to help maintain your wellbeing.Hearts Kind carers drive and have their own cars so can take their clients to activities or encourage them to try something new.

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Flexible and individual care

Hearts Kind understand that continuity of care is very important for you and having a care at home this is one of the element that is right and respected by our carers. Good care is all about good relationships and being able to build up knowledge and trust. Care at home allows you to have dedicated one-to-one care from someone who has time to get to know you well. Home care can easily supplement the care provided by family and be structured to fit around this. It can also be built up as and when is needed.

Have less commitment

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Home Care can be used as an interim solution to give us time to consider all our options. The care can be put in place quickly – Hearts Kind aims to have carers in place within 48 hours – and is very flexible. It also gives you the time to work out exactly what it is that you need and will often be the solution that is of the most beneficial for you. 

Disadvantages Of Home Care

Like everything, Home Care does have a small disadvantage...

 

In order to receive care safely and remain in the comfort of your own home, you may need to make some modification to the home. 

What to expect from Home Care

Hearts Kind is committed to high quality service & support at home. All our carers are self-employed professionals with minimum of 2 years experience, qualification and up to dater training. We are based in Hertfordshire and encourage all our carers to comply with the Hearts Kind Code of Conduct for any services they provide to you. This code is built upon to reflect the responsibilities of

 

Hearts Kind carers includes the following guidance:

  • Ensure delivery of high quality, safe and compassionate care and support.

  • Promote and uphold privacy, dignity, rights, health and wellbeing of clients

  • Communicate in an open and effective way

  • Respect a person’s right to confidentiality.

  • Strive to improve care through continuing professional development.

  • Uphold and promote equality, diversity and inclusion.

  • Make sure you can answer for your actions or omissions.

 

When your carer visits your home, they will:

  • Arrive promptly and let you know by phone if they are delayed;

  • Check to see how they can best support you at the start of each visit;

  • Be pleasant and treat you with kindness, dignity and respect;

  • Focus their attention on you;

  • Carry out all agreed tasks;

  • Help you at a pace that suits you, without rushing you;

  • Talk to you and discuss topics that interest you;

  • Check that you are happy with the support they are giving you:

  • Inform you when they are leaving;

  • All our carers understand Person-Centred care which puts the care recipient at the centre of everything they do. Person-centred care considers the whole person, taking into account each individual’s unique qualities, abilities, interests, preferences and needs. Our carers should check that you are well informed and given information that is jargon-free. They should respect you for your experience, expertise, history and culture.

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Having a care plan is very helpful as it consist exactly what care is needed but it also gives you an easy means to communicate what this is to the carer. All carers should know if there is a care plan and be given access to it so that they are fully informed. This is particularly important if they have to help prompt or administer medication or if there is a DNR order in place.

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Care Home

Advantages Of Care Home

Around The Clock

Care Home provides guaranteed around the clock care and support.The benefit of the Care Home is that is always someone around if needed. All arrangements for care and nursing are organised by the care home.

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Social Interaction

Care homes provide social interaction which may reduce isolation.

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Staying Busy

Maintaining hobbies and local activities for individuals 

 

Essentials

At a care home, you will not need to worry about utility bills, meals and household chores. 

Disadvantages Of Care Home

Very Expensive

The average cost of care home in the UK in 2017/18, was £32,344 a year although this does vary around the country. For Residential Care for someone with Dementia in the South East as £38,844 a year.

 

Limited Privacy

homes are looking after many clients with different needs and their rules may be prohibitive to your loved one, as they need to look after everyone’s safety collectively. In some care homes, you may feel you have lost your independence and privacy.Couples are often not allowed to be in the same room together. Care can be less personalised.

 

Frustrations With Over Residents

In a care home, you will be encouraged to get along with everyone, which may be difficult if you do not enjoy their company. As 80% of care home residents have some form of dementia, it is not surprising that it can be challenging at times

 Need help with the decisions about care?

Deciding whats best for you or your loved one is always difficult. Which is the best for you, home care or residential care? Decisions need to be considered based on your needs and very carefully.  Everyone is entitled to a local authority ‘Needs assessment’ which can help you make the right decision. If you are thinking about the best care solution for a loved one, you may find it difficult first broaching the subject. You may find it valuable to talk to us and to meet some of our carer that lives not to far from you. 

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