How Home Instead Care Services Help Prevent Hospitalisation

A central aspect of our service is keeping people living at home, as opposed to either living in a residential care home or being hospitalised. Staying in their own home is something many older people have a fervent desire to do, and our role is to make that possible and avoid hospitalisation. 

The message coming from the NHS and our local hospitals including Great Western Hospital in Swindon and John Radcliffe in Oxford is that home is the best place to live and recover and hospital is only the right place for those with acute medical need to be there. The pro-active prevention of hospitalisation must be the absolute best way forward. Our services are doing just that: help prevent hospitalisation.

Regular Monitoring by a Care Professional

Having a Care Pro come to the home on a regular basis means that an older person is being reviewed on a regular, continual basis. For example, when one of our Care Pro’s notices a deterioration in an existing condition, or a new ailment, this is picked up as soon as identified and our Care Pro calls upon our Office Team who will take swift appropriate action. This might be a call to the GP to raise a concern and get medical intervention, or a follow up for an occupational therapist review, or simply making the family aware of the situation. 

All these interventions prevent a simple issue become a greater problem e.g. where a person develops a skin sore, this can be addressed, whereas without our presence and action, this could turn to an infection, and potentially sepsis which would cause a hospital admission and further adverse consequences. Or in the instance that an elderly person has a fall at home, the Care Pro can call for help on arrival for their visit, whereas the same person living alone without our services may remain undiscovered for a dangerous period. Continual monitoring is a huge benefit of having our services in place as it gives family members re-assurance that their loved one is being reviewed, even when they themselves are not able to visit frequently enough to meet this need.

Support with Medication and Nutrition

Another way that our services prevent hospitalisation is that we help our clients stay on track with taking their medication. This can be a simple prompt reminder or in some cases we can take on responsibility for administering medications which are prescribed by medical professionals. Keeping on track with meds is key to avoiding deterioration of long-term medical conditions like diabetes which could lead to hospitalisation for an amputation in the worst-case scenario. 

Taking regular nutrition meals is a cornerstone of staying healthy and our Care Pros support with this, ensuring that the client is eating appropriately and raising concerns if this were not to be the case. 

Social Interaction and Relationship to support Mental Health

Mental health is a huge aspect of a person’s wellbeing at any age and plays its part in keeping people out of hospital. When an older person becomes lonely, isolated and ceases to be able to do the activities they once enjoyed life can become meaningless and this can lead to depression and potentially and sadly even to suicidal thoughts. Having our services in place means that a consistent Care Pro, especially matched for being a suitable companion for the person, spends regular time interacting socially with your elderly loved one. This is why we offer a minimum of a 1-hour visit, to allow for this important social need to be met. 

The positive effect of this quality relationship on the person’s health cannot be overstated. The Care Pro will be in conversation with the client and will support them to do their unique hobbies and interests whilst at home. It can also be that the Care Pro uses their car to take the client for trips out, social events such as a memory café, a singing group or seated exercise class, a day out somewhere to see the countryside or to have a meal at a pub. Our services really do flex to meet the needs of each person. We have even supported clients to go on mini holidays before! These things keep an older person engaged with life and reduces both physical and mental health risks. 

Waiting for something to happen and then acting is better than not acting at all, but in many cases, engaging our services before a crisis happens, really can reduce risk of hospitalisation and give the best chance of you or your family member living well in the familiarity and comfort of their own home for as long as they want to. 

If you are caring for yourself or a family member who you think may benefit from our personal care services which keep people living well at home, then call 01793 232585 or visit:

https://www.homeinstead.co.uk/care-enquiry/

Or if you have a passion to care, and are interested to join our team as a Care Professional then call 01793 232585 or visit:

https://www.homeinstead.co.uk/recruitment/swindon/