How Can a Home Care Worker Help Me?

Sometimes we all need a little extra help. Find out what a Home Care worker could do to make your life that much easier.

Over recent decades, demand for home care services in the United Kingdom has increased significantly. In fact, according to the latest figures published by the King’s Fund, more than 350,000 older people make use of the types of services offered by home care agencies, while more than 75,000 younger people also rely on home care support for either learning or physical disabilities, or because they suffer from mental health problems.

Whether you require disability or elder care services yourself, or you currently provide this kind of care for a loved one, it is important to understand that additional help and support that is available. In this article, we examine the various ways a professional home care worker can help service users and carers alike.

Quality of Life

On a most basic level, home care workers can help to drastically improve the quality of life of those who require elder care services, or similar support. This can be achieved by providing assistance with basic household chores, by preparing meals, by providing personal care, by helping a service user with medication, and more.

Professional home care agencies like Abbots Care employ teams of care workers, with a range of skills. As a result, they can also offer more specialist care for people living with conditions like dementia, or learning disabilities. You also have complete control over how much care you actually receive and when you receive it.

“There are many benefits to choosing home care,” Age UK explain. “Home care is a lot more flexible, offering different levels of care without long-term commitment. For example, you may just need help with everyday tasks whilst you are recovering from an illness. When you’re feeling better you may not need the extra help.”

You should begin the search for home care with a care needs assessment, which can be carried out by your local authority. This will allow you to better understand your needs, as well as the financial support you are eligible to receive. A care needs assessment is completely free and you can find your local authority here.

Respite For Carers

In addition to helping people who are in need of care, a professional home care worker can also provide invaluable respite for those who care for their loved ones. This is beneficial for a variety of reasons, such as relieving stress, improving mental health and allowing carers to live a more balanced, fulfilling life.

According to research published by Carers UK, 87 percent of carers stated that caring had had a negative impact on their mental health, with 64 percent identifying a lack of practical support as a contributing factor. Alarmingly, 39 percent admitted they had put off necessary medical treatment to focus on caring.

Unfortunately, one of the realities of caring for a loved one is that it takes priority over other aspects of life and this often means sacrificing your career. In fact, the aforementioned research from Carers UK reveals that 37 percent of carers aged between 18 and 64 had to cease working in order to focus on their care responsibilities.

Yet, the type of respite care provided by home care agencies can allow day-to-day carers to enjoy crucial time away from their caring responsibilities. For some, this may mean more time to get chores done, or more time spent with their children. For others, it may mean the opportunity to re-start their career.

Abbots Care

Abbots Care is an award-winning home care agency, covering the Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Dorset regions of the country. Our management team have more than 30 years’ worth of experience, while our business has accreditation from the Care Quality Commission, the UK Home Care Association and Skills for Care.

Our team of professional care workers are able to offer a variety of different services, including adult and respite care, dementia care, and support for both adults and children with physical or learning disabilities. Crucially, we will work with you to create a personalised care plan, which suits your needs and preferences.

All of our care workers are fully-trained and complete a Care Certificate Course, ensuring they possess the right skills for the role, while our management team carry out regular checks and are always available to review the care being provided. You can book a free assessment through Abbots Care by clicking here.