As London’s population ages, more families are looking for solutions to help their elderly relatives maintain independence, dignity and quality of life at home. Personal home care services are a flexible and compassionate option, allowing an elderly person to remain in familiar surroundings. Every situation is different and it provides tailored support that covers a wide range of daily needs and is specific to your family.
What is personal home care?
Personal home care or personal care, is professional support provided to elderly individuals in their homes. The service is designed to help with everyday tasks that may have become challenging due to age, illness or disability. The service allows seniors to remain in familiar surroundings, in a home they love and have lived in for many years, while receiving the assistance they need to stay safe at home.
What’s included in personal home care?
Personal home care services are packages made up of support tailored to each individual’s unique circumstances. They include personal hygiene and grooming, dressing, toileting and incontinence care, mobility support, meal preparation and help with eating, light housekeeping, medication management, companionship, accompanying on outings, shopping help, and arranging transportation.
Personal hygiene and grooming
- Bathing, showering, providing bed baths.
- Hair washing, shaving and oral hygiene (including denture care)
- Nail and skin care applying lotions, nail maintenance
Dressing and undressing
- Help with selecting appropriate clothes for the day or a special occasion
- Help with dressing
- Assistance with getting undressed at night and into pyjamas
Toileting and incontinence care
- Assisting the elderly person to use the toilet
- Managing incontinence including changing pads or catheters
- Skin care to prevent irritation from incontinence
Mobility support
- Help with getting in and out of bed, chairs or wheelchairs
- Help with using stair lifts and moving around the house
- Assistance with walking and using mobility aids
Meal preparation
- Planning and cooking nutritious meals
- Assistance with eating and drinking
- Monitoring food and fluid intake to ensure enough is taken
- Ensuring that cultural values and traditions around eating are observed e.g. Halaal food
Light housekeeping
- Changing bed linen (related to continence)
- Doing laundry and clothes washing
- Tidying up living spaces to ensure a safe environment
- Washing dishes after meal preparation
Medication management
- Reminding the elderly person to take their prescribed medications
- Collecting and ordering of prescriptions from the pharmacy
- Monitoring the medications and dosage
Companionship and emotional support
- Engaging in conversation
- Arranging for social activities
- Accompanying to appointments and social outings
Transportation
- Arranging transportation to appointments and social activities
- Assisting with shopping or arranging for shopping and delivery
Personal home care in London
Our care teams work with elderly people across London. Each package is tailored to the requirements of the user.
Visiting care or daily home care is where carers visit the home at agreed times to provide support for a few hours per day or week.
We provide respite care for the elderly, where a carer provides care for a temporary period to allow the usual carer to rest, see friends or attend events. Temporary care can be set up after a hospital stay or illness.
Live in care is set up to cover 24 hours a day, all year round. A team of carers can look after an elderly person who is at risk if they are left alone and needs more intensive assistance.
Each care plan is developed after an assessment of the needs, health, mobility, preferences and lifestyle of the elderly person and their family. We are culturally diverse in London and we will match care to the cultural expectations of the family. Our aim is to provide support that is respectful, dignified and promotes the independence of the person as much as possible.
How does personal home care benefit the elderly?
Maintaining independence: Seniors can continue to live in their own home, surrounded by familiar faces and stay part of their local community. We also encourage people to remain active and socially engaged.
Personalised support: Care is personalised to the individual situation. Their needs, preferences and schedules can be taken into account. This is a major advantage over group living schemes where a set routine must be followed.
Peace of mind for the family: Knowing that an elderly relative is being well looked after and safe takes a huge weight off the shoulders of the family. We encourage families to be involved in the care planning.
Flexible service: Personal home care services can be scaled up or down as needs change. They can be arranged for a few hours a week to full-time live in care. We are able to provide care quickly and professionally.
Choose a care provider that has transparent pricing, well trained staff, a clear care plan that is tailored to your elderly relative’s needs and is regulated by the Care Quality Commission.
Arranging personal home care with Jothno Care & Support is very easy – simply call our care team on 020 4548 9300 or fill in the referral form. You do not need to get a referral from your GP or health professional. You can self-refer or refer your relative to us by filling in the form. One of our team will then get in touch to discuss your requirements.
Personal home care provides a suitable alternative to a care home. It is less disruptive for the elderly person who can remain in their home, with their personal belongings. They will be able to stay part of their local community and maintain friendships with people they have known for years.
Personal care provides help with everyday tasks that have become more difficult with age including bathing, dressing, toileting, and preparing meals. Tailored care packages can also include light housekeeping, medication monitoring, transportation and mobility assistance.
It also provides reassurance to the family that their elderly relative is being well cared for and has a better quality of life. The family can be involved in tailoring the care package to meet the individual’s needs and preferences; dietary, religious, cultural or personal.