Although getting older doesn’t necessarily mean misery, we have to accept that it’s not all roses and we, or our loved ones, can reach a stage where coping on our own is not only difficult – it can also cause stress for those who love us.
Thinking it through.
It’s really important to spend some time talking over exactly what sort of help you need – the best place to start is by thinking carefully about where the pressure points are in your loved one’s life and then thinking through what exactly is going to help to make life more comfortable and enjoyable for everybody.
This is the first stage of the Assessment. A good assessor will listen closely to find out as much about the prospective client as they can. None of us are defined by our illness or disability. We are people who have lived full lives – many running homes, having demanding jobs and contributing to our local community. None of us like to feel that we need help and we really appreciate it if the focus is as much on what he can do as what we can’t do.
You can start by either ringing your local social services or by ringing around your local care agencies – at Arbour Care we offer a no charge initial assessment which help you on your way.
You can prepare for this call by thinking through how you would answer the following questions:
- Please tell me what you or your loved one likes doing the most?
- Who does the person most rely on for support and care? ( e.g. spouse / son / daughter)
- Who do they live with – what does the family support network look like?
- Does the person have any special interests or important spiritual needs that we need to make sure they can keep involved with?
Getting down to the nitty gritty
The next step is more factual, and it helps to get as much information together as you can so that the assessor can get a clear picture of the level and type of care that you need.
The following is a list of information needed – just so that you can be as prepared as possible to help the assessor.
- Personal details such as Date of birth, next of kin, GP
- Significant illness that the person is managing or needs help with ( e.g., heart conditions, Diabetes, Stroke, Parkinson’s, Dementia)
- Professionals currently involved ( e.g. , District Nurse, Social Services, Physios, Occupational Therapist.
- Are they on any medication and can they manage this on their own?
- Mobility – we need to know:
- how the person moves around,
- do they need someone to help them?
- do they have stick or walking aid of any sort?
- can they get out of bed on their own – can they manage the loo?
- Meals and Drinks – Can the person eat a normal diet and manage their own drinks, or do they need help? Are they of normal weight or lost a lot of weight recently/
- Going to the loo Is the lavatory easy to get in and out of or does the person need help with this sort of thing?
- Friends/ family support – Does the person have easy contact with family and friends? who are the people who are most special to him or her?
- Faith / spiritual needs – is this important to the person? – if so, what faith does he or she follow.
- Hobbies or interests over the years
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