Caring for older adults at home: Our approach to preventing hospital admissions
Learn about Home Instead Bristol North's home care strategies and proactive approach to keeping your loved ones safe and healthy at home.
Careful home care planning
At Home Instead Bristol North we are deeply committed to supporting older adults in their own homes, and committed to taking steps that proactively reduce the likelihood of hospital admissions.
Firstly, when a client becomes part of the Home Instead Bristol North family, we identify if our client may be at a higher risk of hospital admission, and plan our care carefully and accordingly.
We establish an early intervention strategy, with regular scheduled welfare check visits and regular care service reviews, we are able to identify and respond quickly to evolving needs, and in this way we can help to prevent issues that could lead to hospital admission.
Preventative care at the core of our home care
In fact, preventative care is central to the person-centred approach we take to care at home, it underpins the positive working relationships our Care Professionals establish with their clients.
Our Care Professionals visit the same clients regularly, and get to know their clients well. In doing so, our team often notice subtle changes that may signal a need for additional support or medical attention, and our office team can ensure this is addressed, often circumventing the need for hospital stays.
Specialist and complex care
For those with more complex care needs, our office team includes our Specialist Care Lead who carries out assessments with clients each week relating to end of life support, catheter care, stoma care, PEG care, mobility management and safe manual handling practices.
Our Specialist Care Lead also ensures that our Care Professionals stay abreast of best practice and are highly trained in infection prevention, pressure sores and other specialist and complex care tasks. This specialised knowledge is instrumental in maintaining the health of older adults and safeguarding their continuity of life at home.
Condition-specific training
By investing in comprehensive training such as City & Guilds Dementia Awareness and City & Guilds End of Life programmes, we empower our Home Instead Bristol North team of Care Professionals to pick up on the early signs of discomfort or illness, even for those who may not be able to easily express their needs. This allows for timely interventions that can make a world of difference.
Medication management
Our Care Professionals, equipped with training, provide essential support in managing and providing reminders around medication – keeping clients on track with their medication, whilst encouraging independence. Our team is also aware of the signs of any adverse reactions to medication, and so are able to respond quickly, advise our care teams, a client’s GP or healthcare teams and so avoid potential issues or even hospital admissions.
Integrated care approach: collaborating with local healthcare services
Collaboration and creating positive working relationships with local healthcare teams and services in Bristol is key to our integrated care approach. By liaising with healthcare workers, social workers, the Bristol Dementia Wellbeing Service, and other pivotal services, we ensure that crucial support networks are in place to avoid hospital admissions.
Real-life impact: A client story
An example is the story of our client M*, whose later years had been sadly marked by vulnerability to urinary tract infections, due to catheter complications. Our trained Care Professionals vigilantly monitored his condition, and through coordination of returning samples swiftly to the local GP practice, we provided the immediate care, fluid increase, medication prompts and adjustments he needed. M’s case is a testament to how our coordinated efforts significantly improve quality of life by avoiding unpleasant symptoms and preventing hospital visits. His wife expressed her gratitude to us for our responsiveness during this time.
*Names are withheld for confidentiality and privacy reasons
Outstanding care quality across North Bristol
Delivering our home care services to local communities in and around the North of Bristol, we are proud to be rated Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Our coverage is extensive, from Westbury-on-Trym to Winterbourne, ensuring our high standards of care are accessible
Contact Home Instead Bristol North for exceptional Home Care
At Home Instead Bristol North, our aim is not just to meet expectations but to exceed them. If you or your loved ones require proficient, empathetic care with a strong focus on staying healthy at home, get in touch with us. Together, we can tailor a care plan that preserves independence, dignity and well-being at home.
Interested in learning more about how we can help you or your family? Learn more about our outstanding home care services by calling us on 0117 435 0063 or for job opportunities apply online at our website.