Reassurance in these difficult times
19 November 2020
All of our lives are affected by the pandemic to some degree but some people are really struggling. It’s never been easy for those who care for vulnerable relatives but COVID has created a whole new level of anxiety.
I’m hearing stories about people desperately trying to cope with caring responsibilities on their own because they are worried about whether it is safe to call in professional care teams. I understand where this concern is coming from but I feel it’s important to offer reassurance.
Our care teams are still delivering excellent standards of care. That hasn’t changed. As a homecare company, everything we are doing is about safety. If anything, we are going beyond what we need to do. For instance, our care staff are using facemasks that are a higher spec than required by government guidelines and we are constantly reviewing what our clients and carers should be doing to maintain safety and minimise risks.
Local lockdowns, Tier Levels, coronavirus information, Test and Trace and now an England lockdown – all of these heighten the public’s anxiety and can cause a lot of confusion. That is why we have made sure that at PerCurra we have established links with people at key organisations such as Local Authorities and Public Health England. We know the right medical questions to ask and who to go to get the answers. All through the pandemic our aim has been to remain up to date with changing advice and, at times, be ahead of it.
Extra steps
These days, when we take on a care package for a new client, there are extra steps in our process. The first step in a phone conversation. We discuss the needs and wishes of the client (whether with them directly or in some cases with their partner or relative). Following this, one of our senior staff visits the client’s home to develop their care plan and carry out a risk assessment. Now we have added an additional risk assessment around COVID – if the client has recently spent time in hospital we need to know their COVID test results, if they are in a high risk group health-wise we would make recommendations for starting our service with them. Plus, we limit the number of staff visiting the client’s home so rather than for instance, a Care Manager going there to discuss the care plan, it would be the Care Co-ordinator who would go as they will be part of that client’s regular care team. Everything we do is individual to that client’s situation with the aim of keeping them and our staff members safe.
The main thing we are finding at the minute is that the whole country is on hyper-alert. It’s stressful because people are worried about different things. Someone looking after a vulnerable adult may not want to out shopping because they may ‘bring the virus back’. We will do everything possible to not have our clients and their families feel that added stress. As always, if we can do anything extra we will. For example, one of our care staff may be visiting to deliver personal care to a client but his wife is worried about popping to shops. So we will just ask the next carer to do it on their way in. We have always been able to do it this but now with people being frightened to go out of the house, we do these things all the time. We would never normally want to take away independent things like going to shop but just now things are different. We want to help people manage their fears.
Pick up the phone
If all this strikes a chord because you, or someone you care for, needs extra support in the home please don’t worry about taking the next step. It costs nothing but a bit of time to pick the phone up and have a chat with a member of our expert homecare team. We can talk you through your own situation and, even if we can’t help with delivering care, we can reassure you that you are doing the right thing or we can signpost you to what you need.
Please, if you are stressed or feeling like you are unable to cope yourself or with caring duties, do not feel alone – we are here for you.
Best wishes and keep safe.
Gill
Here we are – it's definitely winter and we are experiencing on and off freezing conditions. Typical British weather – damp and drizzly one day and hard frosts or snow the next. There are many things we can do to stay warm and well but this can be much harder for older and vulnerable people so they may need some help.
It's always wonderful to receive reviews and testimonials from clients and their family. Here's one that has recently been posted on Google.
Congratulations to our branches in Haywards Heath, Sussex and Peterborough, Cambridgeshire - now both CQC registered
June is conference month for PerCurra
PerCurra, is delighted to be taking part in this year’s Lady Bay Open Gardens in Nottingham.
Congratulations to PerCurra’s founder Gill Heppell for being recognised as Most Influential CEO 2023 (Home Care Sector) in CEO Monthly Magazine’s awards.
Congratulations to PerCurra founder and CEO Gill Heppell who has been chosen as a finalist in the Social Care Leadership Awards 2023
PerCurra is always proud to take part in the Great British Care Awards, which celebrates excellence across the care sector and we are thrilled that two of our Nottingham team members are through to the regional finals.
Care staff at PerCurra Nottingham took part in Dementia UK's Time for a Cuppa fundraiser.
• How to get support • Types of Care • How to search • What you should expect from a home care agency • Questions to ask a home care provider How To Get Support Often people only think about getting in professional carers when someone needs a high level of support. They also worry about the expense. This leads to vulnerable people, unhappily struggling to cope with daily life until they reach a crisis point either through ill health or an accident in the home. If you, or a loved one needs some support you can get the ball rolling. The NHS offer advice on their website. View it here: Assessing Your Care & Support Needs Age Concern UK have a really helpful Factsheet - just click on this link Factsheet 41 What Types of ‘care’ are there? Care Support Services range from a care professional (carer) popping round to chat and keep you company for an hour or take you out shopping (companionship services) right through to round the clock support (eg Personal Care Services and Live-in Support). It's amazing how much difference even a small amount of support can make to someone's quality of life. Perhaps this could be covered by an Attendance Allowance - a non means tested allowance that could pay for some essential care or support. Once this has been awarded it may pave the way for further services. Here are some useful links: • Attendance Allowance • Types of Care • Funding Care How to Search for Home Care Providers If your relative or friend does need home care services how do you find the right provider. If you don’t already have recommendations then please feel free to give your local PerCurra branch a call. If you want to get more idea of what is available in your area these national directories of suppliers are a good place to start. https://www.homecare.co.uk/ https://www.autumna.co.uk/ https://www.bark.com/en/gb/ It’s useful to know that unless the support given is ‘personal care’ the care company does not need to be registered with the Care Quality Commission. So if you are looking for companionship services and you have been recommended to a company that isn’t CQC registered, it isn’t a problem. If you are worried about elderly loved ones then the Age Concern website is a great source of advice https://www.ageuk.org.uk/ What You Should Expect From a Home Care Agency Inviting an outside agency into your home is a huge decision but, when you find a great care provider, your quality of life is greatly improved. You will feel safer and happier and actually more independent. So what should you expect from a home care agency? You should feel confident that their staff are well trained to deliver an excellent standard of care and that they can visit you at times that fit in with your lifestyle. A manager should arrange to meet you in your home and discuss your needs and your wishes. They should ask you a lot of questions to really understand what you require and expect from your care package and you should feel they are carefully listening to what you say. Establishing trust with the company and a good relationship with your carers is important to your well-being. You should feel that they are helping you to live your life, your way. Click on this link to read advice from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). CQC Advice on home care agencies Questions to ask a home care provider So you have sought out recommendations for home care providers in your area or you have found some companies via a search on the internet. What next? Phone them up – does the phone get answered in a friendly, professional way? This is your first indication of what their quality of service may be like. If you are happy so far, and they say then can deliver the type of service you need, then you may want to arrange for someone to visit you at home. To get the most out of this meeting it is best to be prepared with a list of questions as well as a pen and notepad. The respected consumer magazine/website ‘Which’ has compiled a list of questions for people looking for reliable home care. Click this link to see them https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/later-life-care/article/home-care-guides/how-to-choose-a-home-care-agency-aybXd9x8pg84 Not all of the questions may be relevant to your situations but pick out the ones that are and jot down any of your own. Take your time and don’t feel pressured to sign up to a company there and then if you are not happy. This is a big decision.
PerCurra was founded in the UK in 2008 and is a respected name in the home care industry.
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