Our CareAngels, working across the UK, deliver an essential service. People and families can make autonomous choices about how they live, with the necessary support with aspects of their daily routines, such as pet care, medications and preparing fresh meals.
Friendly, reputable, and experienced local care teams can support individuals with varied conditions, mobility limitations, disabilities, or healthcare needs, as well as couples, families with complex needs, and older adults.
Today, we’re looking at the significance of home care and why its value extends beyond the individual. It can relieve pressure on local care homes and NHS services while giving families, friends, and loved ones the peace of mind that their loved one’s care and comfort are in capable hands.
Benefits for Individuals and Couples Receiving Home Care Support From a Local Agency
For many care recipients, home care is an alternative to a care or nursing home, and tailored care assessment processes and customised care planning ensure we know exactly the level of care required and whether the person or family requires visiting, overnight, live-in, or specialist care support.
Person-centred care gives every individual the right to remain in their own home, keep their beloved pets close by, and maintain their favourite routines, hobbies, and activities while having the practical, emotional, and companionship support needed to sustain a good quality of life regardless of age or health.
Adapting Home Care to the Needs of the Care Recipient
Home care is often assumed to be solely suited to older adults with conditions like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or Dementia – while these are indeed high-demand levels of support, home care can also be structured to provide:
- Help with domestic tasks such as cleaning, shopping and cooking.
- Hourly, daily or weekly visits as required.
- Adjustable care to increase along with the needs of the individual.
- Specialist care, such as condition-specific or rehabilitation assistance.
- Respite care, giving family caregivers a dependable support network.
A study published by the National Library of Medicine found that over 40% of people discharged from hospitals were worried about having to be readmitted, and over 54% had no contact with a healthcare professional.
Rather than being left to cope independently, a home care service can step in to offer help with medication, rehabilitation exercises, domiciliary care to keep the individual’s home clean, tidy, and organised, and support with personal care such as bathing, dressing, and mealtimes.
In all cases, personalised, family-feel, and compassionate care can deliver better long-term outcomes, sustained quality of life, and the familiarity of routines.
Why Home Care Services Support Families and Loved Ones in Addition to the Care Recipient
We regularly speak with families who are deeply concerned about the well-being of a loved one and who cannot provide the level of support their relative, parent or partner needs due to their mobility, health or location or because they are balancing work and childcare commitments.
Attempting to provide around-the-clock care also puts a strain on many families. Accessing respite care, where a trained, trusted carer acts as a backup support team or steps in on a pre-agreed schedule can give caregivers a much-needed break, time to rest, or the capacity to take a holiday to recharge their batteries.
However, all types of home care services are beneficial to families who can:
- Contribute fully to care planning, providing valuable details such as the individual’s likes and dislikes or noting their preferred TV shows or evening routine—especially if the person finds it difficult to communicate this information.
- Liaise with carers to monitor their loved ones’ well-being and rest assured that they are settled, happy, well cared for, and comfortable.
- Speak directly to their local home care manager to discuss their requirements and seek independent advice, information, or guidance when making complex decisions about how best to protect and care for an older or unwell relative.
For many, the major advantage of home care is that the family can safeguard the interests and independence of their loved one without any need to relocate them to a residential care facility – something we appreciate is rarely the first preference.
While remaining safe and supported at home is ideal, it also means continuity and familiarity for the individual, whose family, friends, and loved ones can continue to visit and share regular quality time together.
The Importance of Local Home Care Services for Communities
Countless studies reflect how damaging loneliness and isolation can be, with many people living alone in older age, or with ongoing illnesses or conditions. Government data indicates that in 2021/22, around three million people in England felt lonely often or always.
People may find it difficult to leave their homes or remain active members of community groups and become ‘invisible’ without the recognition that they require dedicated, practical, and emotional support.
Although home care services are primarily a beneficial support system for the individual, the level of assistance a professional carer offers means that any care recipient, of any age and with any mobility limitations, can continue their routines and keep in touch and engaged with groups, clubs, activities and occasions.
For communities, this translates into an environment of inclusion, accessibility, and respect, where every resident is valued, seen, and welcome to participate.
As an added benefit, private home care agencies support improved employment opportunities. Our award-winning network employs hundreds of professionals, from those new to care and keen to develop a career with fully funded training opportunities to skilled care professionals searching for stable, well-remunerated, long-term employment that fits around their other obligations.
Each Guardian Angel Carers branch nationwide is locally owned and managed as part of our franchise-based network.
This local management structure adds to the community focus of our home care support services. Our fantastic CareAngels, coordinators, and leadership teams are active members of the communities they support and know the incredible value high-quality home care delivers to the individual and everybody around them.