January has seen a spike in demand for our home care services, with family gatherings over Christmas highlighting the need for extra help.
In the run up to Christmas the frenzy of preparations keep us busy, and for many people with the extra responsibility of caring for an ageing parent or loved one, we plough through the autumn months juggling multiple demands, just to get across the line for 25th December. When that special time with family does arrive, seeing Mum, Dad or Grandparents for a longer period of time than normal can reveal a shift in them that may have gone unnoticed over the phone, or on fleeting visits. Christmas has been the turning point for many of the families we now support with care at home. Last January we saw a 24% increase in home care enquiries than the previous year. In December 2023 they had increased by 22% and our website visits had risen by 29%, most of which occurred between Christmas Day and New Year. These figures have increased further throughout the beginning of this month.
Many of our clients have an “epiphany” experience, and realise that our ageing loved ones simply need more support than they’d either realised or are able to provide themselves. The biggest step is often making that first phone call and having a no-pressure conversation with us about how our services can work for you and your family. One of the fears that can prevent family carers seeking out support is fear that it will be impersonal to have an outsider come into the home and that their loved one may not accept it. Our Care Professionals are selected carefully for their kind and compassionate nature, and we match clients to Care Professionals so that the service is genuinely relationship-based. We have experience of working with families to sensitively introduce our Care Professionals to clients in a way that works for all. What the Care Professional does can include many things tailored to your unique needs, whether that be companionship, cleaning, help around the house, meal preparation and/or personal and dementia care. We also offer a live-in care service which can give great peace of mind throughout the day and night.
Some signs of decline to watch out for in older adults living at home include: the house being untidy or unclean, post remaining unopened, bruises on arms and legs indicating a fall, food in fridge well past best before dates, and resistance to social situations.
The bigger picture in the UK is that the increased need for care at home at New Year (and throughout the year as a whole) is not surprising considering the increase in people living with a Long Term Condition (LTC). Currently 26 million people in the UK living with at least one LTC, and 10 million impacted by two or more. Another concerning statistic is that 41% of people attending A&E don’t need to be there. Having the right care in place at the right time can be the solution to avoiding unnecessary deterioration in a loved one and even a crisis situation.
If you would like to talk to us about your care needs then call our friendly team on 01865 841 362 or click the link below:
https://www.homeinstead.co.uk/care-enquiry/
With this increase in demand, we also have vacancies for Care Professionals to join our team. The key requirement for a Home Instead Care Professional is their kind heart and desire to help people live independently. It may surprise you that we don’t necessarily look for people with a care background, because we can provide the training and support needed to a person with the right personal qualities. Maybe you’re retired yourself and could give some hours to support a local older person, or alternatively perhaps you work full time, but would welcome some extra income and could earn this by supporting an elderly person to get them to bed safety in the evening. Some of our best Care Professionals have even made a transition from a completely different role into a brand new career in care, and haven’t looked back!
If you are interested in being a Care Professional, click the link below and our recruitment team will be in touch:
https://www.homeinstead.co.uk/recruitment/oxford/
We wish you all that you would wish for yourself and your loved ones in 2024!