Companionship - a fundamental of care
One of the fundamental contributors to the deterioration of older people is loneliness. This can lead to a feeling of isolation and loss of self-esteem, which often has a knock-on negative impact on their physical state.
Companionship is a critical, yet sometimes overlooked, component of maintaining the well-being of older people.
Can you imagine being isolated at home, save for an endless group popping in throughout the day. They provide you with a meal and check that you’re not at risk and then leave again. Those people, as caring as they may be, never have time to get to know and understand you, they are frequently running behind and under pressure to move to the next person on their schedule, and so they’re in and out in fifteen minutes. It’s not much time, is it?
What is the benefit of companionship?
Primarily, the objectives of companionship (care) are to provide emotional and social support to the client, whether that’s simply listening and talking in the person’s own home or supporting them in making trips outside into the community.
Naturally, the latter depends on the physical state of the individual; however even if their client is wheelchair bound, a Care Professional is most often able assist them to venture outdoors into the community. This could be to visit to their GP, a group get-together with their local church or community group, to take a walk, or visit a local park. There are many scenarios where a companion can make a huge difference.
Of course, there are elements of companionship that can be task related, just as anyone’s family member might help out when possible. These might include running errands or doing the weekly shopping, a little light housekeeping, help in administering medication, through to more personal care providing support with bathing and grooming for example.
All of us wish to remain living as independently as possible for as long as possible. This is a natural, basic human need. And so when someone begins to feel a loss of their independence, it can begin to impact their physical well-being.
There are many physical manifestations resulting from isolation, which are not always obvious, particularly if one doesn’t know the individual or their circumstances. This is why getting to know and understand a client is so vitally important.
We’re all familiar with the old adage ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’, but at Home Instead we also know that an hour a day, (that’s an hour’s visit by a care professional), has a hugely positive impact on our clients. That’s why we maintain a minimum one-hour visit time for our care calls.
We also, as far as it’s possible, match our Care Professionals with their clients based on personality and interests. This ‘shared interest’ approach provides the basis for conversation, which supports understanding, and ultimately, in developing mutual trust.
It’s so important for the client to trust their Care Professional. Having regular longer visits from the same person (or people), provides a solid foundation on which to develop a relationship, where the client feels valuable and secure. Knowing that their Care Professional understands them and their needs, makes a significantly positive difference to the life our clients.
At Home Instead, our care services are deliberately person centred, not task oriented, which makes an enormous difference to our clients’ wellbeing.
Our Live-in Care Professionals describe this as one of the most important aspects of live-in care. It really helps to spot any significant changes in mood or behaviour. Being with their client for longer periods each day means being able to observe them more closely, making it easier to spot when they’re out of sorts.
As they have mutual trust, the client is more like to be open and not feel insecure about sharing their feelings, or expressing that they may feel unwell.
Home Instead’s live-in Care Professionals know that their role is in many ways a privileged one. It’s not simply that they’re living in at the person’s home, they are sharing the client’s life. They may not have family living nearby meaning it’s difficult for them to visit.
Our client’s wellbeing is always front of mind, as it should be. Our long serving Care Professional Val described her role as being ‘complemented companionship’, comprising a mix of emotional and social support, combined with the more task-oriented support.
Val also added, ‘It’s essential to have that mutual respect, as is helping the client maintain their dignity. We actively promote living well in your own home, and so by living in, we can offer the very best companionship and personal care, helping our client remain in the place they love most – their own home!
Client’s family testimonial
‘Home Instead started looking after my father about 2 years ago. They obviously made it possible for him to be ‘at home’ which is his greatest wish and therefore ours too. A partnership/friendship and trust has grown and developed between us and Home Instead, which is so important, especially as sadly, none of us live near to him.
Home Instead has always worked with us to accommodate my father’s needs, completely on board with the emotion involved and diplomacy needed in treating him and his now, ever increasing needs with an enormous respect, to which I feel extremely grateful. There is no hesitation in raising any issue with the Home Instead team. My father receives real ‘TLC’ from his lovely Care Professionals, which is worth its weight in gold!’
If you would like to find out more about our live-in care services, or if you would like to discuss the benefits of how companionship works and its real benefits, then please get in touch with a member of our team.
Call us on 01244 851744 or visit: https://homeinstead.co.uk/chester
