There are 27 standards which care providers must adhere to in designing, implementing and monitoring the care services they offer. The regulations go into great detail about all aspects of both the provision and management of care services and they leave any would-be provider in no doubt as to the level of professionalism, commitment and dedication required to meet the standards.

However, one glaring anomaly is that, although all organisations providing care services to the elderly are officially bound by the regulations, agencies which supply self-employed carers are exempt from a large number of these same regulations!

If the exemptions related to minor and peripheral aspects of care, this would perhaps be understandable, but the alarming fact is that agencies supplying self-employed carers are allowed to ignore a large number of core regulations which have been specifically designed to ensure the safety and welfare of the very people they are supposed to be looking after.

Historically a lot of care services for the elderly have been provided by local authorities and, even though a lot of their work has now been delegated to private care companies, local authorities still insist that all outsourced care services have to be provided by agencies which employ their carers directly, rather than by those which supply self-employed carers. There is a good reason for local authorities to insist on this and that is, quite simply, that, they do not believe they can trust agencies supplying self-employed carers to provide a professional and reliable care service.

The list of regulations which care agencies supplying self-employed carers can ignore includes a number of key standards which are fundamental to the welfare and safety of vulnerable older people. In particular they are NOT REQUIRED to:-

? Provide clients with a written contract.
? Draw up a personalised care plan for each client.
? Provide a consistent, continuous and reliable care service.
? Draw up and implement policies & procedures in relation to health and safety and medication.
? Carry out any risk assessments.
? Draw up and implement policies and procedures in relation to clients’ money and possessions and in relation to safety and security in clients’ homes.
? Provide a comprehensive daily record of care provided or even of any significant incidents.
? Provide carers with detailed job descriptions.
? Provide carers with any formal training.

Conclusion

Many agencies advertising 24 hour live-in services merely act as introducers of self employed carers, over whose work they have very little control. The agency may make an effort to find suitable carers, but it has no responsibility to train or supervise them or monitor their work. Indeed, in most cases the client will pay the carer directly and pay a separate agency fee on top. These agency fees can be quite substantial and many clients and their families may be left wondering exactly what the agency really does to justify its fees.

If you want to be sure of receiving a professional care service from properly trained carers, then you should engage a care provider which employs its carers directly. Before the service starts, you will receive a visit from an experienced nurse/care assessor who will assess your care needs, consider any risks involved and draw up a detailed care plan. The care will then be delivered in accordance with the plan by a small and settled team of qualified and experienced carers, whose work will be regularly monitored and appraised.

It may cost slightly more to use an agency which employs its carers directly, but it is the only sure way of guaranteeing a professional and reliable service. Not only will this enhance the quality of life of the person being cared for, it will also provide their family and friends with far greater peace of mind.

There is no doubt that once you get in to your later years things become more difficult and help is needed for some of the tasks that might ordinarily have been a lot easier a when you were a bit younger. There is help at hand with care in your own home with the privacy that this brings with it. It might be that you only need help at certain times of the day, for example, you might need help with getting your breakfast, lunch or dinner, but to have someone there will make all the difference.

If you only require part-time care then you need to employ the services of a “Visiting Care Agency” who will be geared up for this type of service. However, if you need more regular care throughout the day, for whatever reason, or you would like companionship, then a live-in carer is what is recommended.

A live-in carer from say Care at Home UK Limited will have the experience to deal with all eventualities with an elderly person living at home and will have the necessary training to mach the skills.

Both visiting care and live-in care are very expensive, especially full time live in care, becuase it is labour intensive. However, your local council should be able to offer help where this is concerned and the goverment are pushing for more private home care by offering “Direct Payments” to the person requiring the care.

Care at Home – The Home Care Live-in specialists

Care at Home were established in 1990 and have their head office based just outside Saffron Walden in Essex.

Live-in Care works because more and more people are looking to retain their independence and want to maintain a quality of life as well as retain the freedom of their own home. Care at Home employ their carers who are all trained to the highest standard and who have been fully checked with the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB).

Live in care also works well because you are in your own home where things are familiar and you have complete say in what happens – there are no visiting times and if you want to keep your pet, then you can.

In summary Care at Home is key in providing the following:

One-on-One care

The key benefit of live in care in your own home is that you receive one-on-one care, which is unlike the service provided in a care home where one carer might serve several residents at the same time. The service can therefore be absolutely tailored to suit your needs. You are in complete control of your care and it will be your decision as to the time you get up in the morning to the time you go to bed.

Client specific care plan

We prepare a bespoke care plan for you which is tailored to your specific needs and is then used by the carers to carry out your care on a day to day basis. The care plan covers the following areas:

– Details of your family and who visits you regularly and what involvement they will have in your care.
– Details about your home and the access arrangements for visitors including both your family and friends. Also, whether you have any pets living with you.
– Your communication ability and whether or not you have problems with either of your speech or of your hearing. Do you wear a hearing aid and will you need help with fitting it, for example and whether you wear glasses to read.
– Information relating to your existing medical conditions and allergies that you may have and are you on any medication so that we can assist you in making sure that you take any tablets you have been prescribed. Included within in this we make sure we know about your continence so that the carer can cater to your specific needs.
– What personal care do you specifically require, for example how mobile are you and what assistance will you need in getting around your home. Will you need any help with washing and with the cleaning of your teeth and of course at what time do you like to get up in the morning and then go to bed at night.
– You can let us know what are your favourite foods and drinks and of the things you dislike together with any special health needs you might have. We ask things like where do you like to eat you meals and whether or not you require help in cutting your food up.
– We specifically like to know about your mobility so that we can help you, where necessary, to go out of the house on walks around your neighbourhood or if you have a wheel chair our carers can assist you in moving about. You can tells us what you have difficulty with, for example, stairs or uneven floors etc.
– We like to find out specifically what you like to do, for example do you like going for walks, or do you enjoy watching the TV, or perhaps seeing your family and friends.
– Your care plan will also include vital information about your local GP, your district nurse and any other important contacts in case of an emergency or changes to your situation.
Security and comfort

If you decide to use the services of Care at Home you will obviously continue to live in the comfort of your own home. You will continue to be in a familiar and safe environment with the added security of having a carer on hand 24 hours a day seven days a week. You will avoid any unnecessary stress involved with moving and you will continue to live in your known neighbourhood where all your friends that know you live too.

If you would like to chat with a friendly member of our team please either:

Call on 01799 541400
Email: To email click Care at Home
Or visit our website at Care at Home.

We look forward to hearing from you.