Companionship care

What is Homecare
Home care services is when care and support is provided in the comfort of your own home and surroundings. In your home throughout the day, you are use to your own familiar surroundings and are used to interacting with people that you love. There will be a time when extra care and support is required which is why we offer home care in the comfort of your own home. With home care, there is much more flexibility, whether you need extra care and support for a few hours or live-in care. Home care is a financial saving, compared to care provided in care and residential homes.

Here at Secure Healthcare Solutions. We provide quality home care designed to deliver domiciliary care, specialist home care, and complex care to the elderly, adults, and children. We are governed by the CQC, with a rating of good, and we work with service users, families and friends, local authorities, social services, and cases managers to create tailored personal home care plans, so we can provide quality care to ensure our service users have a quality of life.

Our home care services are provided by our trained and qualified care team and we have a trained and qualified in-house healthcare team to ensure we provide quality care.

There are different types of home care, depending on the needs of the individual requiring care.

Personal care
This when extra care and support is required to assist with daily tasks throughout the day, which may be because of an illness or for an elderly individual.

Examples of personal care include:

Assisting with washing and dressing
Support with getting patients in and out of bed
Help with going to the toilet
Preparing daily meals
Talking to the patient and providing the patient company
Support with household tasks
Helping patients get around the house
Administering basic medicines

Companionship care
Companionship care is generally for the older generation who are lonely or at risk of becoming lonely. These individuals are healthy to live in the comfort of their own home, however require some company to not feel lonely to stay happy and mentally strong. Loneliness is a huge issue that impacts a lot of people in life and it is important to have somebody to talk to to build an individual’s confidence, ensure social involvement and avoid or ease depression.

Dementia care
According to Alzheimer’s Research UK, there is over 850,000 people in the UK with dementia, which is likely to increase by one million by 2025. There is no cure for dementia yet and looking after a loved one requiring dementia care full time can be difficult for a family member, alongside other commitments. Individuals with dementia are likely to have challenging behavior which is unpredictable throughout the day. For example, individuals with dementia may get confused, have angry outbursts and forget daily tasks on a regular basis. With an individual that has dementia, changing routine and the environment will be challenging which is why home care is much more beneficial than residential care, as loved ones are used to the place they know.

Live-in care
Live-in care is having the reassurance of 24-hour care when a professional carer lives in the home of the individual provided care and support for. Generally, live-in care will be for individuals that have a long-term condition that requires full-time care and support. It could also be to cover a family carer that is having a break. It is a great avenue for those that need daily care and companionship, which allows you to live in the comfort of your own home, have a routine, and develop a strong relationship with the carers.

Respite home care
Respite home care is a short-term care service. This could be to support somebody who cares for a loved one and it could be daily or weekly to help the family carer that has other commitments. It may be for a short period of time, while the family carer is on holiday or it could be to provide extra help when a patient has been discharged from hospital to help the individual recover, as the individual could struggle with movement, have difficulty performing daily tasks and taking medications or injections while recovering.

Nursing care
Although care workers are trained to do medical tasks and administer a lot of medications and wounds, there will be medical tasks that need to be carried out by a qualified nurse which requires nurses’ training and experience. A nurse could be required to care and support for those that have the effects of a stroke, Huntington’s disease, brain or spinal injury, muscular dystrophy, motor neuron disease, cancer care, surgical procedures, tracheostomy care, stoma care, and catheter care, which requires specialist training. Nurses could also be dressing wounds, treating and managing skin problems, and administering injections and some types of medications.

Whether you or your loved ones require home care full-time or part-time, then we are here to help. Find out more about our home care services by clicking here. Contact the home care team on 01902 302017 to discuss home care needs for yourself or your loved ones.

If you are looking for some extra care or to begin care at home, it can be a bit overwhelming. You might wonder just what different sorts of care is available. That is why we have broken down the main types and explained just what they are. You can also find more complex and specialist care services that fall under these categories too. Here are the differences in the types of home care available.

Personal Care

First in our list of types of home care is personal care. A personal carer comes in usually every day to help with a number of things. This includes getting you washed and dressed, preparing meals, and doing light chores around the house. They can also pick up your shopping for you and any medical prescriptions that you might need.

Live-In Care

Live-in care is a service where a highly trained professional will live within your property during the day or night. A live-in carer is there to support you with any needs you may have, helping to support your independence.

Respite Care

Respite Care is a service offered to allow the person looking after a loved one a break. It is able to offer support in the short term or the long term and can benefit both the carer and patient. Looking after someone unwell can be draining making respite care an important role within the healthcare profession.

Holiday Care

Going away is important for your mental health, and will allow you to recharge your batteries before returning to your everyday stresses. If you require everyday support then a holiday carer can help you with a trip away.

Home From Hospital Care

If you have gone through a major operation then it can be intimidating returning home. Home from hospital care supports you at home whilst you return to fall health. As soon as you are discharged from the hospital home from hospital care is there to help with all your medical needs as well as assisting with your daily activities, causing the least disruption.

types of home care — Photo by Georg Arthur Pflueger on Unsplash

If you don’t have any relatives or friends nearby, life can get lonely. Which is where companionship care can help. Sometimes overlooked in types of home care, this is a very effective one. Loneliness can play a real toll on your mental health and can even make medical conditions worse. To combat this, why not look into companionship care? This is where a carer will come to your home to spend time with you, whether this is to chat with you or play a puzzle or a board game.

24 Hour Care

24-hour care is just what the name suggests and means that a carer will be there for you both day and night. They can help you with everything from getting you up, washed and dressed, to preparing your meals and helping you to the toilet at night.

Overnight Care

If you feel uneasy about being in your house alone overnight, then overnight care could be a good option for you. A carer will be there for you to put your mind at rest. If you need to get up for the toilet or if you have a fall, you know they will be there on hand right away to help you out.

Assisted Living

Assisted living means that a carer will live for you at all times. They are skilled aid carers that are medically trained and can provide pain management and rehabilitation therapy, plus help in the case of any emergencies arising. Assisted living will give you peace of mind and an increased sense of safety and security.

No matter the types of home care you are after, we can help you at Secure Healthcare Assistants. Get in touch with us today to find out more information.

A recent report by Age UK found that over 500,000 elderly people don’t see or speak to anyone else for five to six days a week. They also found there are presently 1.4 million chronically lonely older people in England. Human beings are social creatures and not made to be alone. This is why companionship is so important. Unfortunately, our society has changed drastically over the past few years and social contact is not what it once was.

This is particularly true during the pandemic where we have been in lockdown and it has been harder than ever to see our loved ones. Things such as Facetime and Skype have made it easy to feel that we are in touch with relatives. Unfortunately for those that aren’t in tune with modern-day digital technology, this can be tougher than ever.

Being lonely is not just something that is unpleasant, but can also lead to a host of chronic illnesses. This includes an increased risk of dementia, heart disease, and mental health issues such as depression. It is because of this that companionship care is so important. We are here to help with companionship care services near you to ensure that your loved one is well looked after and has someone to speak to when they need it. Here are some reasons for the importance of companionship care…

It can protect them against certain cognitive illnesses
Several studies have been conducted that have shown those who are lonely tend to score worse on the cognitive functioning scale. This means that they could have an enhanced risk of developing something such as dementia. Being on their own for too long has also been shown they are at a higher risk of developing depression and anxiety. With someone to talk to, they can offload any worries or thoughts they might have before they can escalate.

There is a lower risk of heart disease
A recent study found that people who are not in regular contact with people and who suffer from extreme loneliness are 32% more likely to have a stroke and 29% more likely to develop coronary heart disease. The research found that those that are isolated and lonely are less inclined to take care of themselves. They might do less physical exercise, not eat as well and smoke more. Companionship care services can ensure your loved one eats well and regularly and has the company that they need throughout the day.

Why companionship care is so important — hoto by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

It will give them a sense of purpose
If someone is lonely they will lose their sense of purpose. They are less likely to feel engaged with the world and feel worthless. Without someone to talk to regularly about both important topical matters and mindless chatter, it can have a great effect on someone’s mindset. This can lead them to feel slowly worse in themselves and unmotivated to do everyday, simple tasks. Without motivation they might not want to get up, bathe, get dressed and eat well.

Our companionship care services will ensure they not only have a reason to get up and ready for the day ahead but that they have tasks to do during the day. No matter if this is just watching television or reading a book it will help. We can also take your loved one to social events such as bingo or to a social club and check-in that they are alright.

How will companionship care help?

Our companionship carers can call in however often they are needed. Whether it is someone to pop in twice a week to check on their mental health and wellbeing, have a catch-up over a cup of tea, or help them get to a social event, they are here to help. They will be there to offload any thoughts and worries too; whether these are mental, health-related or to do with aspects in the lives of those around them. They will be there to play board games with and assist with getting up, dressed, and fed. While these might all seem like small tasks, they will make a huge difference to the loved one in question.

These all highlight the importance of companionship care and just how it can help your loved one today. If you are looking for companionship care in Wolverhampton, the West Midlands, and the surrounding areas, we are here to help. We offer live-in care services, 24-hour care, and many other services to help. If you find yourself asking where can I find companionship care near me, then please get in touch.