With the number of people aged over 75 in Scotland predicted to increase by 82% by 2035 and the number of people aged over 85 set to increase by 147%, care at home services are more vital than ever before, and can help to support older people to live in their own homes rather than in long-term residential care.
Malcolm Green, from Merchiston, is 73 and has lived in Edinburgh all his life. He enlisted the help of Ardmore Home Care in 2010 after he had a stroke.
Malcolm said:-“I spent four and half months in hospital and was advised to go into residential care after this, but I was really determined to return to my own home. I have invested a lot in my property and want to continue living there, but it’s not just about that; I also wanted to maintain some independence and have my own personal routine. Being in my own home also means that friends and neighbours can pop in at any time.
“I live in a ground floor flat which works well with the fact that I now use a wheelchair, but I am unable to cope alone. I have a cousin who I’m in regular contact with and who comes to visit me a few times each year for a couple of days, and another cousin in Wales who I speak to every other day, but I don’t have any family nearby. The local authority provides me with support through Ardmore Home Care, and this covers things like personal care, meal preparation, helping with medication and assistance to and from bed, all of which are extremely important. I also receive support with things that go beyond daily living tasks and which enable me to get out and about. Every Wednesday I go out for lunch at the local church and on a Thursday, I go out for coffee, and I wouldn’t be able to do this unless I had help.
“As I have limited mobility, I also wanted to have support during the night, so I have arranged extra care on a private basis, which I pay for myself. This has been really important to me as I have become poorly during the night on a few occasions, but have had the help I needed without having to make any emergency calls and without having to wait for anyone to arrive. I feel much more secure knowing that someone is there if I need them.
“It’s great that Ardmore Home Care can provide all of these things, as there is continuity of care, and I can enjoy living a full life within my own home. It’s also very much about companionship – I have built up a great relationship with my key carers and I really look forward to seeing them.”
Malcolm is part of Ardmore Home Care’s Policy Review Group, which means he takes part in meetings with management and employees to review company policies and suggest changes and improvements. He is also involved in the company’s three-day employee induction courses, where he meets new staff members and help them to understand what is involved in the day-to-day practicalities of a care worker role.
Ardmore Home Care, the community-based ‘care at home’ company is part of the ILS Group, and they remind us of the ten benefits of care at home, as they expand the services they offer to clients across Edinburgh.
The benefits of home care
- It allows someone to remain in the familiar environment and comfort of their own home, with a normal routine and without invasion to their privacy
- It avoids the emotional stress and upheaval of moving to new surroundings with new people.
- It promotes independence and empowerment within the individual, which in turn leads to psychological wellbeing and a sense of being in control.
- The one-to-one attention provided helps to establish a strong bond between the carer and the person being cared for.
- It ensures that the help received is tailored specifically to the individual.
- Family and friends can continue to visit at whatever time is mutually appropriate, and they’re not restricted by visiting hours.
- Meal times and food choices are also under the individual’s own control.
- There is no need to part with precious possessions.
- Pets can remain at home too.
- With friends and family nearby, loneliness and vulnerability are less likely.
Ardmore Home Care already provides services on contract to Edinburgh City Council, supporting older people at home and people of all ages challenged by disabilities and other issues which make it hard for them to cope with some of the everyday tasks we all take for granted, such as bathing and cooking meals.
It is now expanding the services it provides, making these available to anyone who can pay for the additional help on a private basis or to those who want to augment the care they receive through the council, or have other requirements for support.
Private care at home can be set up very quickly, and can be provided for a few hours a week up to 24 hours, 7 days a week. It can be a sensible alternative for those not eligible for local authority provision, or as a top up to services already received. It caters for basic domestic support, personal care, meal provision and companionship, through to highly specialist nursing care for those with complex physical or medical needs.
Ardmore Home Care is a long-established provider of care at home services to elderly and vulnerable people across Edinburgh.
For more information about private care from Ardmore Home Care, please call 0131 661 8686/0131 334 2356, or visit www.ardmorehomecare.co.uk.
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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
