Care at home in Windsor, Ascot and surrounding areas
Helping a loved one to stay in their own home may mean anything from stopping by to check in every few days to assisting with tasks such as household chores, bathing and preparing meals, as well as activities including medication management and arranging social outings.
Maybe you do not have a personal care plan in place yet for a loved one, other than knowing that you all want to avoid a residential care home if at all possible. Maybe you have a care service in place for your loved one, but they are not 100% happy with the service they are receiving.
Whether you’re taking care of an ageing parent and need elderly home care, looking after a child with a physical or mental illness, or a handicapped spouse, you need a clear care plan. It will also help to have care services available with flexible options that will help you with your acts of kindness, love, and loyalty.
Develop a plan
Making a plan for both the short and long term is important from the outset. You need to deal with the day to day, while considering the ‘what-ifs’ of your relative’s age and condition. Obviously, you cannot anticipate every scenario, but forward-thinking at the outset will help you respond more effectively later on.
It is important that you feel that you do not have to go it alone. Reach out to other family members, friends and others who can form a care team. Make sure you discuss every step with the person you will all be caring for. It is important that they are happy with the care that you are planning, and they will have valuable input.
What are you able to do? How much time do you have to give? Be honest with yourself. Are you happy with hands-on caregiving tasks? If not, can another team member step in? It is good to discuss whether money is available to hire professional care support. Even if it is not needed straight away, it may be needed in the future.
Ask your care team what they are able to do to contribute to the individual’s care. Even if they do not live nearby, they can handle jobs such as ordering prescriptions, paying bills and arranging medical appointments. Work with them on an agreed plan.
Summarise the plan in writing because a written plan will ensure that everyone on the care team, including your loved one, has agreed upon and is aware of what is needed. This will help avoid misunderstandings. Remember to update the plan as it will evolve over time.
What consideration may have to be included in the plan?
Caregiving can become all-consuming; you may find yourself playing nurse, life coach, nutritionist and social director. All of these roles are important for maintaining your loved one’s mental and physical health. Just don’t neglect your own.
If the person you are caring for has compromised vision or hearing, or has difficulty getting around, you will need to consider ways to make their home safe. Read our Winter home safety tips, some of which apply all year round. They may need help with gardening and weekly shopping too. Ask them what their week involves.
Caring for a chronically ill or aging relative can mean performing some medical tasks and keeping track of many medications for various ailments. In the aftermath of a loved one’s hospitalisation, many family caregivers may find themselves performing challenging tasks at home, such as inserting catheters or injecting medicines.
You may need to manage nutrition and be aware of any dietary restrictions. You will need to encourage your loved one to avoid processed foods and maintain a balanced diet. It might help you to look into home-delivered meal programs. The plan will need to include how to make sure the person drinks plenty of fluids, as dehydration can bring on more conditions.
Getting the right help
Depending on the severity of your loved one’s problems, you may need a bit of assistance — or a whole lot of it. The key is to stay organised and know how to get the help you need. As a caregiver, you will be at a higher risk of stress and depression. If you notice any changes, seek help from a mental health professional.
We offer care at home in Windsor, Berkshire and surrounding areas. We are proud of our Care Quality Commission, Inspection Report, which noted our “safe”, “caring”, and “well-led” services. We also value client feedback. In our latest pre-inspection Client Survey, 100% of the responders said that our care workers are caring and kind, ensuring dignity and respect to service users.
We offer many services including:
- Personal Care
- Medication Administration
- Household & Domestic
- Companionship
- Live in Care
- Respite Care
- Overnight Care
- Dementia Care
- Palliative Care
- Personal Assistant Service
- Free Home Care Advisory Service
Would you like to find out more?
For more information on our home care in Windsor and beyond, including our fees and flexible options, please get in touch via our online form and we will get back to you within 24hrs. If you would prefer to talk to someone in person now, then just give call us on
+44 (0) 1753 369088.
