Living abroad and worried about an elderly grandparent at home? Learn how to find trusted in-home care, what to look for, and how Jothno Care can help.
Where can I find in-home care for an elderly grandparent in England, when I live abroad?
It is especially worrying if your grandparents are aging and you don’t live nearby. You are not near enough to them to look after them yourself or ensure that they are getting the right kind of care.
Many families live apart because of work, study or migration and this can make it harder to spot when a grandparent needs extra help as they get older. This is difficult enough when you see them every day!
How do I know when my grandparent needs care?
This is a common question. There are some typical signs that it is time to arrange care. These include:
- Skipping meals and not being bothered to cook.
- Not taking medication when it is needed.
- Struggling with washing, dressing, brushing their hair or moving around the home.
- Loneliness and isolation which is common among older people and particularly when their family does not live locally.
- Falls or near misses.
- Concerns raised by friends, neighbours, relatives or professionals.
Your grandparent may be reluctant to admit that they are not coping, and when they do, they usually need help fast. Then you are faced with finding a trusted in-home care provider while living remotely.
Luckily there is a lot of help at hand. In-home care can cover all the needs of everyday life. We can help with:
Personal care – washing, dressing, grooming and going to the toilet.
Meals and hydration – ensuring that your grandparent is getting enough to eat and drink.
Medication management – monitoring medications and prompting when they are needed.
Companionship – keeping their minds active and busy with conversation and activity.
Help around the home – covering light housework and arranging help with household maintenance when needed.
Support with mobility – both moving around the home and going out to appointments or daily activities.
Where to start your search for in-home care
There are many online resources that can help you to find trusted in-home care and assess whether this is the right company to support your grandparent, all of which you can access when you are living abroad.
Use Google search to find home care near your grandparent. Make a list of the companies that stand out in the search results and look like the kind of company you would like to have looking after your grandparent.
Consider your grandparent’s cultural requirements. Would they prefer a company that can supply a carer who has a cultural understanding of their faith, speaks the same language as them or can cater for their dietary needs.
Look for reviews of the company on independent third party websites like Google reviews or Trustpilot. Look at the company website to make sure that all the carers are trained and have been DBS checked.
Home care agencies are regulated by the Care Quality Commission that assess and rate the services provided. For example, Jothno Care and Support’s service was rated good by the CQC. You can look up the latest report on the CQC website.
Once you have a shortlist, think about the kind of care that your grandparent is going to need, both now and in the future. Ask the company if they can supply the care that your grandparent needs and what the cost is for that care. If they provide a free assessment for care, use this resource.
Make a list of all the questions you want to ask. Here are some examples:
- What is the process of arranging care for a grandparent from overseas?
- Can you communicate with me and update me on my grandparent’s health while I am living abroad?
- What happens when care needs to change as my grandparent gets older?
- How are carers matched to clients?
- Who do we contact in an emergency?
Jothno Care and Support’s team are experienced in arranging care for families who are living overseas and unable to attend the office or be with their parent or grandparent during meetings.
We can arrange care packages quickly and efficiently and we are flexible about changing care when the situation changes. We can also advise on whether there is any support available from your grandparent’s local authority.
We have worked with elderly people in London for years. Our carers are DBS checked and trained to be dementia friendly and supportive of the older generation. Our carers are praised for helping aging relatives regain a sense of identity, dignity and independence.
We are careful to match our carers to the family whenever possible making sure that they speak the same language, have the same cultural background and can cater to the particular needs of a family’s religion and culture. As a South Asian family, living and working in London, we are aware of the difficulty of arranging care while living abroad.
Arranging in-home care for an elderly grandparent while living abroad
Living abroad does not mean that your grandparents have to struggle alone. It is possible to arrange reliable and trustworthy in-home care for an elderly grandparent while you are living abroad.
With the right support, your grandparent can continue to live safely and securely in their own home. They will be well looked after by their care team and we can help you to stay connected and informed about their care.