Not home alone this Christmas

Ask older people where they want to live, and the answer is rarely a surprise. In a survey of 1,000 people by SureSafe, 96% of those aged 75 and over said they would rather stay in their own home than move into a care home or live with relatives.

These are survey findings, not official counts, but they do point towards a well-known truth. For most elderly people, home is where they want to be, but this does not mean that the path ahead is clear…

Many people feel that if their elderly parent is to stay at home, the responsibility is on their own shoulders to look after them. Most though find it overwhelming to balance this with work, children and other responsibilities. Professional support can reduce this pressure.

And no, getting professional help does not mean abandoning your loved one! Quite the opposite: It allows you to spend more time together as family rather than having every interaction revolve around care tasks. Seren Healthcare offers several types of care support, so you can discuss which arrangement would work best to relieve the pressure on your family, whilst enabling you to remain a loving son or daughter without having to provide every aspect of care yourself.

At Seren, we provide the very best, high quality and affordable nurse-led care.

• Home care: visits arranged around your needs, from personal care, meals and medication to companionship.
• Live-in care: a dedicated carer living in the home, giving continuous support in familiar surroundings.
• Respite care: short-term support so family carers can take a proper break.
• Complex care: specialist, clinically led support for physical and neurological conditions, including stroke recovery.

Perhaps you are a family with one of the following scenarios:

Your elderly loved one does not want strangers to look after him or her.

It is completely understandable to feel this way as care is personal, and feeling safe with the carer matters. Seren provides compassionate, caring staff who listen, respond sensitively and treat people with dignity and respect. We always discuss your preferences, and each care professional is carefully selected and matched to your loved ones’ needs. We believe that care should be built around the person, not just a list of tasks, and that is why we build dedicated teams around each person, so you are not meeting a stream of new faces.

Your elderly person may not be safe living alone anymore.

Safety must come first. Depending on the individual’s needs, support at home may help with daily routines and reduce some risks. Seren provides home care, live-in care and complex care at home as service options. The appropriate level of care is assessed against health, mobility, supervision requirements and home environment.

Care visits won’t be enough

Some people need help with just a few daily activities, while others need much more intensive support. Live-in care and complex care at home provide a higher level of support throughout the day and night for those who need a more comprehensive care option rather than shorter visits.

Home care will cost too much

Cost is a genuine concern, and it is important to understand the full financial picture before committing. You can ask for a personalised quotation based on the number of visits, the level of assistance required and whether live-in or complex care is appropriate. Depending on circumstances, there may also be help available, such as local authority funding or Attendance Allowance for people over State Pension age. Eligibility varies, so check what applies to you.

Your elderly loved one will be lonely at home.

Remaining at home should not mean being left isolated. Our care arrangements take account of emotional wellbeing as well as personal care. Seren's emphasis on compassionate and individualised support provides a basis for discussing social needs, interests and routines. Proposed care plans will include meaningful conversations, companionship and help accessing suitable community activities.

Your loved one has dementia, so they may need a care home

Dementia affects everyone differently. Some people can remain at home with suitable support, while others need continuous supervision or specialist care that cannot safely be delivered in their current circumstances. Complex care at home and live in care options can also safely provide supervision requirements with suitable options for the individual.

Your parent refuses to accept help

It can be difficult to accept help when you have managed independently for most of your life. Seren's commitment to personalised care and dignity supports a person-centred approach to these conversations. Involving your parents in the decision, wherever possible, will help them to feel that control is not being taken away from them.

What will happen if / when their needs get worse

Care needs can change over time, so it is important to think beyond what your parent or elderly loved one needs today. Needs do change, which is why care plans should be reviewed regularly, and levels of support can grow with the person. Our clinical background always shapes how we work, with nurse-led oversight of quality, safeguarding and risk.

If your parent has the mental capacity to make this decision, their wishes generally carry the deciding weight. If capacity is unclear, professional advice can help.

If you are worried about a parent living alone, you do not need all the answers before you get in touch. Tell us what matters to your loved one and what support might help, and we will explore the options with you, with no pressure and no obligation.

Call 01633 526 711 or email info@serenhealthcaresolutions.co.uk.

Seren Healthcare Solutions: care that puts people first.