How to Talk to a Loved One About the Need for Care
By Right at Home North Leeds, Otley and Horsforth
Published: 12/02/2024
A Step by Step Guide to Having a Conversation About Care
Initiating the conversation about care with a loved one can be a challenging but crucial thing to do. Open communication is key to exploring all of the available options together. In this blog, we delve into the importance of choosing the right time and place, being open and honest, and actively involving your loved one in the decision-making process about their home care. We also explore how to choose the best provider, the differences between home care and care homes and how best to introduce care into a loved one’s life. This blog follows on from our previous editorial about how to spot the signs that someone needs care:
How to Talk to Your Elderly Parent About the Need for Care
- Choose the Right Time and Place: Begin the discussion in a comfortable and relaxed setting to foster an open dialogue.
- Be Open and Honest: Avoid confrontational language, guilt-tripping, or accusations; instead, focus on being compassionate, understanding and open.
- Listen, Empathise, and Reassure: Actively involving your loved one by listening to their opinions, looking them in the eye and understanding their aspirations and preferences, ensures that they feel in control of their own care. It is vital that they are provided with choice, understand all the information and don’t feel pushed or rushed into making a decision there and then. They should be encouraged to ask questions and it is important that you check they understand their choices and implications.
Choosing the Right Care Provider and Why it Matters
Matching CareGivers to Your Loved One
Opt for a reputable company like Right at Home Leeds North, Otley, and Horsforth. We prioritise matching CareGivers based on shared languages, personality, hobbies, interests, and backgrounds. Afterall, our Clients need to feel comfortable with those that are providing support and care in their own home. Meaning, that trust and relationships will be built and lasting friendships will be made. Your CareGiver will be introduced to you prior to commencement of care. It is our policy to provide the least intrusive care. We treat others with respect and dignity and work in partnership with our Clients, empowering them and giving them the confidence to do what they can, for themselves, by encouraging positive risk taking.
Give Feedback on Care
Fostering a culture of open communication, thorough complaints procedures, active listening, and continuous improvement is vital for homecare providers such as Right at Home Leeds North, Otley and Horsforth. We create an environment where our Clients feel listened to, valued, understood and supported and have the confidence to speak with us at any time. We have regular touch points with our Clients after the first visit and then at set times (and inbetween, from there) to ensure they are happy and to see if they require any changes or improvements. Throughout the year we have full reviews, surveys, supervisions, spot checks and independent surveys to ensure our Clients are fully satisfied with our service.
Supporting and Empowering our Carers
We believe that empowering and treating staff right is critical for a positive work culture. We value our team’s professional growth which is why we invest in only the best training. Infact, we offer our CareGivers more than 100 CPD certified courses (including our mandatory training). These are endorsed by Skills for Care and the Centre of Excellence. We are very proud of our Train the Trainer programme which achieved the Princess Royal Training Award in 2023.
Training, career progression and paying our team a good wage, ensures that we attract and retain only the very best people….individuals who pass our “Mum Test”. Our staff feel valued and included and are regularly recognised for their dedication, hard work and compassion.
To stay up to date with all of our activities in the local community and to see what our fabulous North Leeds team get up to, make sure you follow our Facebook page.
Introducing Care Into Your Home
How to Introduce a CareGiver
Before our CareGiver arrives, go over the daily plans with your loved one. Talk about the reasons why elderly care services are needed and let your loved one know that you would feel better if someone was around to help where needed. Remember don’t argue or make the conversation about you.
Emphasise that the CareGiver's role is to assist with the things your parent finds harder to do e.g. vacuuming and food preparation. Our Caregivers are also there for companionship and friendship whilst enjoying hobbies, walks or watching a movie.
Rest assured that we introduce all of our highly trained CareGiver's to your parents, so that your loved one will never have a stranger arrive at the door. Even if our CareGiver has been with us for 10 years – they will still be introduced ahead of providing care. We find that by not wearing uniform (only a ID badge) this helps to build lasting friendships faster.
Start Your Home Care Package Off With Only a Few Hours a Week
If applicable, begin the care package with a few hours a week to support your loved one. This might include light housekeeping such as help with vacuuming, shopping, changing beds or the laundry. This ensures that when the time comes for more support, the trust and strong bond has already been established and a routine is in place. Meaning your loved one will experience less of a change and will ultimately feel more comfortable if personal care is later required. Of course, we do have some Clients who are able to reduce their visits over time as they regain their independence and recover – as has been the case with our Clients who have our hospital to home care service or our respite care service, which can offer a welcome break for their primary carers.
Start Your Home Care and Support Early
Early planning allows your loved one to discuss their preferences and aspirations and have these documented and approved by themselves. Building a trusting relationship with their homecare team, ensures they remain in control of their own care. We all hope their will never be a time when we lack capacity. However, if the time comes, and a detailed home care plan and some early support has already been put in place (whilst your loved one has full capacity), this ensures that their wishes have been understood and can be lovingly followed through.
Difference Between Home Care and Care Homes in Leeds North, Otley and Horsforth
Care at Home In North Leeds - Comfortable and Familiar Environment
Homecare provides a familiar setting which reduces stress and anxiety. Clients are encouraged and supported to go out into the local community or their surroundings, should they wish. This is proven to improve their mental health, the sense of belonging and retains their independence for longer and ultimately their quality of life.
Care at Home In Horsforth, Otley and Leeds North - Affordability and Flexibility
Homecare can be more cost-effective than care homes or nursing homes. Home care can provide flexibility in terms of visit frequency and length as circumstances change.
Home Care Tailored to Individual Needs
Homecare is customised to an individual’s changing needs, specific routines, and preferences. It offers more quality one to one contact time compared to nursing or care homes. Your loved one can remain involved in their own meal preparation, shopping and daily tasks and they are not required to fit into a strict schedule. Our minimum visit time is an hour which means that our care is not rushed and so our Clients feel valued and listened to and have the time to build meaningful relationships. All too often, you hear about rushed visits (even 15 minute visits), however we believe that this can lead to mistakes which could have safety implications for individuals. Shorter visits ultimately mean that the quickest option is to do everything for the Client (rather than with the Client), which could mean that loved ones might become deskilled quickly, which may cause them to feel like they lack any purpose in their life. There are also issues with eating, nutrition, choking and challenging behaviour to consider when visits are rushed.
Types of Care Services in Leeds North, Otley and Horsforth
- CQC regulated Personal Care Services
- Companionship Care Services in Leeds North, Otley & Horsforth
- Support with hobbies, social interaction, shopping, trips out (e.g. swimming, garden centres, theatre trips, afternoon tea, petting farms, Harewood House)
- Dementia Care Services and Alzheimer's Care
- Elderly Care Services
- Respite care and holiday care
- Hospital to home care
- Meal preparation, medication assistance, prescription collection
- Light housekeeping and transportation
- Specialist care (including cancer care, diabetes care, stroke rehabilitation, osteoarthritis, neuromuscular disorders, end of life care, 24-hour care, live in care)
- PEG feeding, stoma care, catheter care
Taking the Next Step
Navigating the world of homecare in North Leeds (including, but not limited to Otley, Rawdon, Guiseley, Yeadon, Horsforth, Bramhope and Adel) can be overwhelming. However, with the right approach, you can ensure that your loved one receives the care and support they need, whilst maintaining their independence and quality of life.
Our team at Right at Home Leeds North, Otley, and Horsforth specialises in developing unique and personalised care plans with our Clients, to support their ever changing needs, allowing them to lead a fulfilling life from the comfort of their own home.
If you believe your loved one may need care, contact our friendly office team today on 0113 340 6000 for an initial chat. Download our home care brochure to find out more here.
