Being Sensitive to Your Needs

First Steps to Helping a New Client

Starting Out with a New Care Client

One of our clients was a gentleman in his 70s who lived with his wife and had always been completely independent.  However, he was getting more frail and confused as time went on. 

Our client’s wife was happy to continue to care for him at home, but she really needed a regular break, once or twice weekly, to pop out and socialise, go shopping with friends or get her hair done, and was worried that her husband might have an accident or get confused and upset if left alone, but was worried about his reaction to someone new coming in.  Not wanting to put pressure on family or friends to much, she called our team to see what we could do. 

Giving a Carer a Break

We made a home visit and discreetly observed the husband over a cup of tea and chatted with him and his wife in a general way. We asked the husband about his interests and it turned out that he loved gardening, and talking about his experiences as a fisherman. He also liked drives and walks in the country.

Team Approaches to Sensitive Care

After a team meeting and further discussion with the wife, we put forward some of our carers who were interested in similar things, and prepared to chat with him about them while his wife went out.

We arranged that once a week he would go for a drive and walk for around two hours with the carer, to break up his afternoon while she went to the hairdresser or shopping and he could go out for a walk around local parks, or the garden centre for a cup of tea and cake once a week as well if he wanted to, on another day for two hours, with the carer.  The carer was introduced as a new friend of the wife’s, and gradually over a short period of time, was accepted by the husband as a friend of his, too.  The wife began to take short trips out which were gradually extended as time went on.

Caring Services - and Home Adaptations

After a look over the house, we were able to suggest some simple adaptations which would help the wife manage the increasing care needs of her husband.  We installed a pressure mat under the bedside rug to alert her when he was getting out of bed, as he needed help occasionally at night and as time went on, we were able to help the wife access various other aids such as an adapted bath chair to assist her husband in and out of the existing bath without changing the decor, and a stair lift so that he could go up and downstairs without struggling. 

Building a Real Rapport

Our carer was able to continue working with the husband and wife and they formed a close bond over a number of years until the husband required more extensive care services and moved into a care home.