Professional homecare services are available to help your loved ones keep their independence while relieving pressure on families
Image James Pike
As our loved ones grow older, they might find it more of a struggle to carry out everyday tasks because of physical or mental impairments, but don’t yet feel ready to leave the comfort of their own home. Subsequently, family members often feel the need to step in to support older relatives with cooking, cleaning, shopping, administration, financial and personal care. This can become a pressure for individuals with busy lives themselves, especially if they’re part of the ‘sandwich’ generation with children of their own to care for. This reliance can also affect their relationship with their parents, leaving limited time simply to enjoy each other’s company.
The answer might lie in one of the professional homecare services that operate in the Cambridge area, providing different levels of personalised, compassionate care to support elderly relatives in their own home. This allows them to continue being independent and relieves the load on the next generation of family members.
Staying at home
Home Instead’s care services
To maintain a strong sense of wellbeing, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that older people are cared for in their own home for as long as possible. Being surrounded by home comforts, possessions and memories has a positive impact on their lives without the physical and emotional upheaval of moving into different accommodation. Familiar surroundings are also helpful for individuals living with dementia, where they are less likely to feel confused or lost.
With just a little extra help from a visiting carer when and where they need it, elderly people can maintain a sense of independence, choosing when they want to socialise and what they want to eat, for example. They can benefit from one-to-one attention and the flexibility to tailor the care to suit their needs.
Knowing that people are regularly visiting and helping your elderly relatives not only gives you peace of mind, but also allows you to spend time with them when you visit, rather than being preoccupied with a multitude of household tasks.
Targeted care
Image Jesper Anhede
You and your elderly relative will need to decide which services could be most beneficial. Homecare organisations might offer domestic care, such as laundry and vacuuming; personal care with washing and dressing; overnight care with a carer who sleeps in the house or remains awake to provide support; live-in 24-hour care; or respite care to allow caregivers time off. Other possibilities include specialist care with targeted support for conditions such as dementia or diabetes; palliative care to help manage the symptoms of life-limiting conditions; and post-hospital care to ease the transition back home after receiving medical attention.
Inviting carers into the home of an elderly relative and relying on them to care for and support your family member with compassion is a big step. It’s vital to research different companies to ensure the staff are fully trained, trustworthy and able to support the needs of the person or people they’re caring for.
What’s the cost?
Homecare services are inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), with ratings on its website (cqc.org.uk). In Cambridge, 21 agencies received a ‘good’ CQC rating for providing a safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led service.
The cost of homecare services varies according to your specific requirements – the type of care needed, how often you want it and whether more than one carer is required. It’s worth remembering that a live-in carer might be a cost-effective alternative to a care home for a couple living in one house. However, the costs will need to be covered by an income or savings, unless you borrow against your property in an equity-release scheme.
Depending on your relative’s needs, they might qualify for a support package for live-in care from the NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) scheme or financial support from their local authority if their assets are below £23,250. You could request a financial assessment from the local council to determine eligibility for help with care costs.
Professional homecare services
Tailored plans
Alina Homecare has been awarded a Top 20 UK Home Care Group award every year since 2021. “Our team has years of experience. We understand the challenges faced when choosing home care,” says Cambridge branch registered manager Tara Fiveash.
“We’re available to help navigate the way to improve your loved one’s quality of life and provide a variety of homecare options – from domestic help to companionship, dementia, respite or live-in care to make life easier for them and bring peace of mind for you.”
There is a free, no-obligation assessment to provide an individually tailored, competitively priced, detailed and personalised care plan.
Specialist care
Home Instead is run by husband-and-wife team Tom and Laura McEwan. “Witnessing first-hand the challenges and disappointments in finding quality care for our loved ones, we committed to creating a service that stands out for its excellence and compassion,” says Laura.
As well as basic homecare, Home Instead offers specialist care services for dementia, neurological conditions, cancer and palliative care. Staff attend in-depth training and development programmes to provide them with the experience, knowledge and skills to address complex needs.
Costs are estimated at £231 per week for seven hours of personal care; £490 per week for 14 hours of specialist mid-stage dementia care; and £518 per week for 14 hours of home visits for monitoring diabetes and other healthcare needs.
Expert service
Helping Hands Home Care prides itself on being the only full-service homecare provider endorsed as a Centre of Excellence by Skills for Care for its focus on providing outstanding care. “We offer flexible occasional care with visits from our qualified carers starting from 30 minutes a week to full-time, 24-hour support from a live-in carer,” says care manager Sam Donnelly. “We seek to match your loved one’s needs, personality and interests and provide a personalised care plan.”
Costs start from £31 an hour for flexible visiting care to £1,650 per week for live-in care for one or two people in one home.
Further info
- A comprehensive care and support guide is available from Cambridgeshire Care Choices (carechoices.co.uk).
- Care Network Cambridgeshire (care-network.org.uk) trains local volunteers to provide free practical and emotional support in the home through the Maintaining Independence at Home scheme.
