Care at home companionship for the elderly – Live in care

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Paul Isaacs Managing Director Otus Live in Care

Do you want to continue to enjoy your social life, but are becoming frail and are increasingly having mobility problems or feel lonely. Then Otus Live in Care has the answer. Our companionship live-in care service can introduce you to trained and experienced Personal Carers. They will help you to continue to live in your own home for as long as possible. Our service is most suited to individuals who will benefit from having the security that someone is there with them to offer help when it is needed. It also provides comfort for family and friends who are unable to regularly visit with the reassurance that a loved one is being cared for.

Our Personal Carers will be your companions giving you assistance to continue your social life both in and outside of your home, assisting you to live your life to the full.  Your Personal Carer can help you to continue to engage in the social activities you enjoy. That could mean attending a local club, pub or help you meet your friends for a catch up and a cup of tea. Your Personal Carer will be on hand to support you when required. It could be that your friends or relatives visit for a bite to eat or a cup of tea or you may just need help going to the shops. Your Personal Carer can help you continue to do what you want, when you want.

In addition to the above the following help is also provided by your Personal Carer , it is of course your decision or your representatives if you require this help, your care is tailored to you and will be adapted as you needs change.

  • Provide company -Your Personal carer will be someone to talk with, maybe have a short walk to the shops or in your garden. It could simple be some one to watch your favorite television programme with or help you with reading if required.
  • Daily routine – Your carer can remind you of appointments , when to take your medication.
  • Household duties  - A personal carer will carry out domestic tasks such as cleaning all essential parts of the house. Ironing and the washing of clothes and laundry.
  • Meal preparation - Your personal carer will take note of your food preferences and desired meal times. They can also help with your food shopping if required.They can arrange appointments for you such as your hairdresser or Doctor.
  • Escorting on trips – You will have support from your Personal carer on short day trips or on longer extended holidays on your own or with a family group.

 

Otus Live in Care is a quality provider of live in care.  We dedicate time finding people with the right skills, training and experience before then introducing them to our Clients or their representatives.   To underline the importance of robust recruitment at Otus, our Managing Director personally interviews every Personal Carer before they are able to register with us and be introduced to Clients.   We only recruit competent, committed, warm individuals whose first objective is the care and well-being of each Client.

Treating clients as they would wish their own loved ones to be treated is the benchmark of our service.

If you want to find out more about live in care,  please visit our website www.otusliveincare.co.uk, telephone 01403 710119, email info@otusliveincare.co.uk or click this link http://www.otusliveincare.co.uk/

 

 

 

 

 

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Otus live in Care – News

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 I would like to share the launch of a new site www.myageingparent.com. It is an information and social forum website, providing information and signposting for help for elderly loved ones or friends. A feature of the site I like, is the ability for people to talk via forums and share experiences and knowledge. Finding care and associated services for an elderly loved one, can be daunting and lonely,  sites such as www.myageingparent.com can only help improve understanding of the services available. 

Otus Live in care does not recommend, or endorse any one specific supplier , website or provider and there are other providers and websites available.

www.myageingparent.com or http://www.myageingparent.com  is a new UK-focused information website and social forum aiming to provide a central resource for everything you need, or want to know or discuss about elderly care.

From positive ways to keep ageing parents, friends and relatives active and healthy and maintaining their finance and legal needs in shape, through to specific information on care options, local authority funding and managing age-related health issues, such as dementia, the site is a comprehensive and authoritative first port of call.

Myageingparent was set up by Alex Ingram and Deborah Stone.  Their frustrating experiences of trying to find UK-oriented resources online to help them care for their ageing mothers propelled them to establish it.

Alex says; “After having to trawl through several mediocre US-based sites, we realised there was a desperate need for a single website in this country, which could provide help on all issues relating to supporting your elderly parents or relatives.”

The site draws on a wide range of experts, consultants, lawyers and charities, such as Alzheimer’s Research UK, providing an authoritative and continuously updated source of information, with daily news updates. It is an affiliate member of SOLLA, the Society of Later Life Advisors.

Dr Anne Davies MD FRCP, Consultant in Health Services for Elderly People in theRoyalFreeHospital,London, says; “When I was approached by myageingparent to write about elderly falls, I was impressed by the whole concept of a comprehensive site aimed at providing support for carers based on relevant, engaging articles. Now the site is live, I am even more impressed with the easily accessible, focused information and signposting it provides. It really is a unique offering that will help a lot of people and save them a great deal of time.”

The site is easy to navigate, with clear signposting and a multitude of useful articles linking to other relevant sources.  There is a social user forum, SHARE, where people can talk about their individual experiences and share problems and advice.  An online one-stop-shop offers easy access to products useful to the elderly and their carers.

Deborah says; “Having gone through the trauma of watching my father suffer with dementia and experiencing the effects first-hand, then supporting my mother since his death, I wanted to be able to help others in similar situations.  I wish I’d had something like this to reduce the anxiety and stress of looking after my parents.”

There are now 10 million people in the UK over 65 and there will be 15.5 million more by 2032. Within this, the number of very old people is growing even faster. There are currently 3 million people over 80, projected to reach 6 million by 2030.

Alex Ingram and Deborah Stone, are co-founders of myageingparent.

For more information please contact info@myageingparent.com

Deborah Stone on 07768 876871   Alex Ingram on 07973 702190

At Otus Live in Care, we provide Personal Carers who are experienced with caring for Clients .  We can provide respite care in your own home.  We also provide long and short term live in care in your own home, in short we will fit the care to your requirements.

Otus Live in Care is a quality provider of live in care.  We firmly believe it’s important to spend a great deal of time finding people with the right training, skills and experience before then introducing and matching them to our Clients.  Our Personal Carers will look to encourage the person with Parkinson’s to lead as active and as normal a life as possible.  It is important that Personal Carers allow them to do things for themselves, even if it takes a little longer.  Good communication and observation is vital; that the Personal Carer asks what help the Client wants and they retain independence wherever possible. The Personal Carer will understand that one day a Client may be able to carry out a task and the next day they might not.

The benchmark we use at all times at Otus Live in Care and which we encourage Personal Carers to adopt at all times, is to treat Clients as they would wish their own loved ones to be treated.

If you would like to know more about both respite and live in care, please call us on 01403 710119 or email an enquiry to info@otusliveincare.co.uk, or visit our website via this link http://www.otusliveincare.co.uk/

Otus Live in Care – Focus on the charity Parkinson’s UK

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Each month, Otus Live in Care is highlighting the work of a charity.    This month we are featuring the great work at Parkinson’s UK.  We have many Clients who have Parkinson’s and to whom we provide live in care throughout the UK, hence we have chosen to feature Parkinson’s UK this month.  Every hour someone in the UK is given the news that they have Parkinson’s which shows the extent of the disease.  

Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological condition and around one person in every 500 in the UK has Parkinson’s.  People with Parkinson’s don’t have enough of a chemical called dopamine because some nerve cells in their brain have died.  Sufferers can find that their movements become slower so it takes longer to do things. Unfortunately there is currently no cure for Parkinson’s and its not yet understood why people get the condition. The charity has specialist nurses, and supporters and staff provide information and training on every aspect of Parkinson’s in order to assist people living with the disease and their families.

Parkinson’s UK are the largest charity funder of research into the disease in the UK.  They have, to date,  spent £55million on research.   They plan to reach £70 million by 2014 to find a cure.  The charity also campaigns and raises awareness to change attitudes and seek better service provision.

Parkinson’s UK ensures that both carers and families can get together through a network of local  groups.  You can find out more via their confidential helpline 0808 800 0303 or visit http://www.parkinsons.org.uk.  On this website you can find out how exercise can help people with Parkinson’s, whether this be exercise classes you may attend or exercises you can do in your own  home.   Another important factor is how lifestyle is managed such as diet to control weight gain or loss and taking of medication, and again you can gain advice and support on this.

Although we have featured Parkinson’s UK, another great place to visit for more advice and support is the Cure Parkinson’s Trust who are also devoting a great deal of energy and money into research.   You can see more at  www.cureparkinsons.org.uk

At Otus Live in Care, we provide Personal Carers who are experienced with caring for Clients with Parkinson’s.  We can provide respite care in your own home.  We also provide long and short term live in care in your own home, in short we will fit the care to your requirements.

Otus Live in Care is a quality provider of live in care.  We firmly believe it’s important to spend a great deal of time finding people with the right training, skills and experience before then introducing and matching them to our Clients.  Our Personal Carers will look to encourage the person with Parkinson’s to lead as active and as normal a life as possible.  It is important that Personal Carers allow them to do things for themselves, even if it takes a little longer.  Good communication and observation is vital; that the Personal Carer asks what help the Client wants and they retain independence wherever possible. The Personal Carer will understand that one day a Client may be able to carry out a task and the next day they might not.

The benchmark we use at all times at Otus Live in Care and which we encourage Personal Carers to adopt at all times, is to treat Clients as they would wish their own loved ones to be treated.

If you would like to know more about both respite and live in care, please call us on 01403 710119 or email an enquiry to info@otusliveincare.co.uk, or visit our website via this link http://www.otusliveincare.co.uk/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Live in Care for Couples

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Live in Care for Couples

Live in care is a modern solution that helps relieve the stresses and strains on both family and friends at what can be an emotional time when deciding what help and support is needed.  Families are now more geographically dispersed than ever before.  The challenges and pressures of finding positive caring environments can be daunting for a couple, but it can be found literally on your doorstep.  Live in care enables a couple to remain living in their own home in an environment they are both comfortable and familiar with.  Most importantly, they can remain living together.

This type of care is a cost effective option for couples looking to stay together in the family home. Given that often one Personal Carer is able to support two people this can present significant cost savings over the option of two people going into residential care. It is  important from an emotional perspective that couples who have been together for many years are not parted and having a Personal Carer is a great alternative to a care home.

A couple that have been together for years naturally do not want to be parted when it comes to the point of either or both needing full time care.  A Personal Carer provides permanent assistance seven days a week or for just a few weeks or maybe a few days to assist with recovery after illness or surgery.  Live in care can also be used to provide holiday cover or respite for Carers already supporting a Client, and is a service that is personally tailored to suit a Client’s individual needs.  Having a Personal Carer will allow respite without taking away an individual Client or loved ones involvement in their care.   Sometimes couples find personal care difficult, so live in care is a great option.   It may mean help from a Personal Carer with daily housekeeping or cooking, can assist one part of the couple. Live in care for couples is a very cost effective alternative to a residential care home and means you can stay together for as long as possible in your home.

Otus Live in Care consider a key factor to good live in care is that we take the time to discuss in detail the personal needs of all Clients and then match the best and most suitable Personal Carer for that Client.  It is important  that the skills and experience of the Personal Carer introduced, will compliment a Client’s individual needs, hobbies and interests.

Above all, live in care gives people choices – simple things such as eating what you want, when you want and watching what you like on television. These may seem basic but the importance cannot be underestimated when thinking about the overall well-being of a loved one. The benefits of allowing people to retain their individuality should not be overlooked.

Otus Live in Care is a quality provider of live in care.  We spend time finding people with the right skills, training and experience before then introducing them to our Clients or their representatives.   A clear indicator of the importance of robust recruitment is that at Otus, the Managing Director personally interviews every Personal Carer before they are registered with us and are engaged by a Client.   We only recruit competent, dedicated, warm individuals whose first objective is the care and well-being of each Client.

Treating clients as they would wish their own loved ones to be treated is the benchmark of our service.

If you want to find out more about live in care,  please visit our website www.otusliveincare.co.uk, telephone 01403 710119, email info@otusliveincare.co.uk or click this link http://www.otusliveincare.co.uk/

Care home or live in care? You decide

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Paul Isaacs Managing Director Otus Live in Care

More and more these days we hear about the rising cost of caring for the elderly and those requiring ongoing care, with the cost of a place in a residential home without nursing averaging around £25,000 per year – Lang and Buisson(2009). This figure is conservative, as in a more recent study survey by Partnership, the insurance company(2010), it found the average care home costs £36,000 a year, with many good quality homes in the South of England costing close to £50,000*.

It’s not only the cost that people need to consider when thinking about care provision. There is much research to show that between 50%-60% of people admitted to care homes die within the first 2 years. Mortality rates are highest in the first 6 months but tend to settle thereafter. It also found that certain conditions and diseases increased the incident of death (Alzheimer’s Society 2006). Research carried out by Bupa also supports the Alzheimer’s Society findings. To further endorse these findings, in America a study by Journal of the American Geriatrics Society of its sample of nursing home patients who died between 1992 and 2006, a full 80 percent were dead within one year.

What is really important in getting high quality care is the ratio of Carers to Clients. In a study by Dementia North on behalf of Joseph Rowntree Foundation,  the most common care staff resident ratio was approximately 1 Carer to 4 Clients in the Dementia care homes it reviewed .  It also found in homes which had poorer staff and resident ratios, care staff felt under more pressure to get on with tasks rather than spend time with residents.

A key considersation when deciding on what form of care is most appropriate is  where you feel most comfortable and relaxed, which is likely to be your home. At home, you have an established social network, familar faces, neighbours and belongings.   You have your memories around you. Small things are important, the fact that your family can visit whenever you want and having your pet remain with you, all make such a difference to your health . For people with Dementia, research has shown these aforementioned familar surroundings and people are even more important in coping with the condition.

If you have chosen residential care, it does not mean you or a loved one have to stay there.  If it’s not working out, live in care is still an option and we can work quickly with Clients or represenataive so that you can return to your own home and have a quality Personal Carer.

Live-in care from Otus Live in Care           vs               Residential Care Home

Cost from £581 per week                                           Cost up to £962 per week*

Cost savings for couples                                            Paying for two beds

Remain in familiar surroundings                                 Unfamiliar surroundings

No stress or upheaval                                                Upheaval and distress

Maintain independence                                               Loss of independence

Personal Care, one to one                                          A large number of carers

Contunuity of care                                                     Lack of continuity of care

Choose what and when you eat                                  Set menus, prescribed times

Pets can remain at home with you                              Rules vary

.* Figure represents annual fee divided by 52 weeks as per Partnership findings 2010

At Otus Live in Care, we provide Personal Carers that are experienced Live in Carers.  We can provide respite care in your own home.  We also provide long and short term live in care in your own home, in short we can fit the care to your requirements.

As a quality provider of live in care,  we think it’s important that we spend a great deal of time finding people with the right skills, training and experience before then introducing them to our Clients or their representatives.  Good communication and observation is vital; that the Personal Carer asks what help the Client wants and they retain independence where possible.

Treating Clients as they would wish their own loved ones to be treated, is the benchmark of our service.

If you would like to know more about both respite and live in care please call us on 01403 710119 or email an enquiry to info@otusliveincare.co.uk, or visit our website via this link http://www.otusliveincare.co.uk/