Home care services are a favoured choice for many who are struggling to live independently in their own homes as they get older. These services are designed to make it safer for elderly people to continue living within the comfort and familiarity of their own homes, and they can prevent them from having to move into a residential care home. When you start arranging home care, one of the first things a home care provider will do is carry out a care assessment. This will take place in the home of your elderly loved one and it will establish their needs whilst giving them the opportunity to express what’s important to them in terms of their future care. The needs assessment will then be used to create a personalised care plan for your elderly family member or friend. This care plan will be at the centre of their home care and it is essential to get this plan right. If you’re not sure what a care plan is or what it involves, below we have put together a guide covering all of the basics.
What is a care plan?
Simply put, a care plan is a fully detailed plan that contains everything about your elderly loved one’s care requirements. The finalised plan will be tailored to their individual needs and it will take into account all of their preferences and wishes as well. Every person receiving care is different and therefore, no two care plans will be the same. When a care plan is created, is it key to ensure the elderly person who is going to be receiving the care is involved in the process. This provides them with the opportunity to share their thoughts, concerns and opinions. Involving them can also help to prevent any issues when it comes to the required care services being implemented.
What goes into a care plan?
There are lots of different sections to a care plan and it will cover everything that is relevant to your elderly relative or friend’s care. You can expect a care plan to include things such as; the type of care services required, how much support is needed, when the support will be provided, how much the care will cost and how the care services are going to be paid for. Home care providers offer a huge range of care services and the amount of assistance they provide to elderly people will differ quite considerably, ranging from an hour call each day to around the clock live-in care. To ensure your elderly loved one isn’t receiving too much or too little care, it is crucial to check the care plan is correct. Here at Beloved Homecare, all of our clients’ care plans are kept on our home care management system; PASS System. This allows our care assistants to check the care plans before client visits and they can also make notes about the care and support they have provided during each visit. The PASS System enables us to provide a greater level of care and real-time updates can give peace of mind to family members too. Not to mention, eliminating paperwork from our process reduces the risk of client records being incorrect.
Will a care plan be reviewed?
All care plans are flexible and they can be adapted over time in line with your elderly loved one’s changing needs. The amount of care and support can be increased or decreased whenever required, and the care plan will also be reviewed on a regular basis. When care services are first introduced, they should be reviewed in a few months to ensure they’re working as they should be. Changes can then be made to address any issues highlighted during the review. After the first review, the care plan should then be carefully reviewed at least once a year. If you’re ever concerned about the care and support services being provided, you can always request for the care plan to be reviewed again though.
Organising elderly care in Sale
Hopefully, you will now know a little bit more about what a care plan is and the information above can help you to arrange appropriate care and support services for your elderly loved one. If you’re looking for a home care agency that provides elderly care in Sale, don’t hesitate to contact our team here at Beloved Homecare today. We provide a range of care services that enable elderly people to continue to live independently and we pride ourselves on helping our clients maintain the highest quality of life. We work closely with our clients and their families to create care plans that meet all of their needs and expectations, and we can assure you that you won’t be disappointed with the quality of care and support we provide. Our ‘outstanding’ rating from the Care Quality Commission can provide you with peace of mind too and there is no better team to turn to for elderly care in Sale.