Farnborough Respite Care: Donald's Story
Wondering what respite care looks like for a client? Join us as we meet Donald and learn how it helped him get back on his feet.
Home Instead's Farnborough Respite Care
Not sure what Respite Care is? Let’s take a quick look before we meet Donald.
At Home Instead, Respite Care is a temporary care service that provides holistic services that help you or a loved one get back on their feet. Very much based on your needs, Respite Care can include:
- Live-in Care (day and night care)
- Separate day or night care
- Personal care from bathing to dressing
- Household management and chores
- Meal preparation
- Medication and hydration monitoring
- Dressing, catheter and stoma changing
- Simple exercise
- Companionship
- And more.
The aim is to work holistically alongside your GP and NHS treatment plans to provide mental, emotional and physical support while you recover.
Home Instead’s Suzanne Robinson Tells Us
Donald’s Story
In December, Donald’s daughter reached out to Home Instead as he had recently returned from hospital. Donald had been discharged with pressure sores on both of his heels from being unable to move about. He was struggling. And due to the severity of the sores, Donald was in constant pain and unable to be as independent as he was before.
If you have ever had the chance to meet Donald, you would know that he has always been a very active and independent gentleman. So, our respite care had to offer the safety net he needed while he recovered.
Home Instead started supporting Donald in January 2024 by providing personal care every morning and ensuring his house was clean and tidy to help minimise his risk of falls.
Due to the pain in Donald’s heels, his physiotherapist decided that he should remain downstairs, as going up and down a flight of stairs on his own was unsafe. This meant creating a space downstairs that would help him heal in comfort.
Donald was also discharged with a catheter, so he needed some support to ensure this was checked and the bag rotated from each leg daily, something that he initially struggled with. Which is perfectly natural. Catheters can be tricky to insert and keep in place. Left unchecked, they can also cause UTIs, so it was imperative that he received the proper care here.
Having us check on him daily meant Home Instead could check for any potential problems and fix them, keeping both Donald’s catheter and pressure sores under a close eye for the District Nursing team.
With complex cases like this, there are other side effects to be aware of. In Donald’s case, he suffered agonising knee pain and was prescribed pain medication. We ensured he took his meds when needed and ice-packed his knee. As Donald was always active, this was a frustrating time, especially as he knew the sores on his heels could have been avoided. The best thing about having a small care team in your recovery are the relationships you build. This helped Donald mentally and emotionally through his respite.
With support from Home Instead, Donald’s mobility has massively improved, and he has become increasingly independent.
Only eight months later, Donald has improved so much that he can do more for himself and has decreased the number of respite support visits he has each week, replacing just a few with support out and about while shopping. He has also had his catheter removed and his bed moved back upstairs. These considerable strides in his health have enabled Donald to find his confidence again and literally get back on his feet.
Donald and his family feel he would not have been able to make this much progress in this short space of time without the support of Home Instead. He has gone from strength to strength, and his determination has proved that anything is achievable if you put your mind to it.
Keep going, Donald, we know you can do it!
Are You Looking for Respite Care in Farnborough?
So, you see, respite care is something you can access when you need it and for as long as you need it. And it can be an empowering way to return to where you were before an extended illness or hospital stay.
Contact us today on 01252 758 716 to find out how Home Instead can help you.
Areas we cover are Farnham, Farnborough, and Fleet.
