It’s a fact of life that as we age we require varying degrees of support with daily life. Senior care is a vital part of social care and healthcare. As the average age of the UK population rises and we live longer, the need for senior care becomes ever more critical to the well-being of our elderly loved ones.
What is senior home care?
Senior home care is a type of care and support for the elderly that enables older people to remain living independently in the home they love while receiving the support needed to live comfortable and happy lives.
There are many types of senior care available, from residential care homes and sheltered accommodation to home care provided in the comfort of a person’s own home.
Senior home care, delivered in a person’s own home, is by far the most preferred and desirable type of senior care available. When surveyed, the vast majority of adults say that given the choice, if they need care, they would prefer to remain living at home than move into a residential care home.
Home really is where the heart is, surrounded by memories, loved ones, pets and a much-loved neighbourhood community. It’s easy to understand why most UK adults feel this way. Thankfully, senior home care enables older adults to make their preference a reality with the professional support of home care providers like Trinity Homecare.
Why is senior care important?
UK society has changed a lot over the last 50 years. Not only are we living longer than ever before, it is also more common to move to or travel to different locations for education or work. Close family units where multi-generational families live near each other are becoming a thing of the past.
These changes to the way we live impact the way we care for our much-loved elders. Senior care plays a vital role in our society across all ethnicities and walks of life today. As we age, we all need extra support to live well and comfortably.
Types of senior care at Trinity Homecare
At Trinity Homecare, we have served the elderly UK community in their homes for over 25 years with our professional senior home care services. Every person is unique, so we offer a holistic and personalised approach to care.
We offer home care for a wide variety of health conditions and needs. We couple this with a truly flexible and adaptable service, enabling our clients to have as little or as much care as they want, and as a client’s needs change, so does the care they receive in a seamless manner.
Our senior home care can be received as a long term care arrangement or as a temporary measure. All home care options we offer can be received as visiting care or live-in care.
Visiting care, sometimes called hourly care, is when a care professional visits the home to provide care and support on a regular basis. The minimum duration of a visit is 30 minutes, depending on the level of assistance required. Visiting care can be one visit per week to multiple visits per day.
To find out more about our visiting care service, download our free visiting care guide.
Live-in care is when a professionally trained carer lives with you in your own home to provide full-time care whenever needed. Live-in care is a welcome alternative to residential care. No upheaval, no disruption, and it allows you to be independent, stay close to friends, keep pets and maintain all your hobbies.
To find out more about our live-in care service, download our free live-in care guide.
We offer a variety of care options for you or your loved one to keep you safe, comfortable and autonomous at home.
Some of our care options include:
- Dementia/Alzheimer’s care
- Complex care
- Postoperative care / convalescent care
- Companion care and housekeeping services
- Overnight care and 24-hour care
- Personal care
- Emergency or respite care
- Disability care
- Couples care
Explore our full range of home care services here.
As well as offering a wide range of care options, our experienced and professional carers can support conditions such as:
- Cerebral Palsy care
- Multiple Sclerosis care
- Parkinson’s care
- Stroke care
- Arthritis care
- Diabetes care
- Cancer care
- Bariatric care
- Alzheimer’s care
- Motor Neurone Disease care
- Osteoporosis care
- Acquired Brain Injury care
- End-of-life care
To find out if we care for a condition that you or your loved one is living with, contact our expert care team.
All care can be organised on a long-term or temporary basis. With no minimum time period required, care is totally flexible and easily adaptable.
What are the benefits of senior home care?
Senior home care is by far the most preferred option amongst elderly people requiring care. The benefits are tangible and far-reaching. They include:
Supported independence at home
Living at home rather than moving into a care home maintains your independence to live life as you choose. You keep your place in your local community among friends and neighbours. You are free to choose what you eat and when you eat, with meals prepared for you if you desire. You can maintain your life surrounded by memories, pets and loved ones, in comfort and security.
Mental and physical well-being
The emotional and psychological benefits of senior home care cannot be underestimated. To receive a friendly visitor can make a lonely elderly person’s day. Having someone to talk with, share experiences and laugh with is incredibly powerful at staving off loneliness, depression and anxiety in elders. A Trinity carer is a friend who can share activities and promote exercise and movement.
Provides practical support
As well as providing care for health conditions and companionship, carers can help around the home with domestic tasks such as cleaning and laundry, fetching groceries and preparing meals. Support in the community is also provided, from accompanying to appointments, social events or assisting on a long journey. Trips to the local park, visiting friends or going for a coffee bring so much joy to an elderly person’s day.
Supports all the family
Senior care also offers numerous benefits to family caregivers. It gives them more time for other responsibilities, such as work and family duties, easing the emotional and logistical challenges that come with caring for an elderly loved one. It’s also a great solution for any family caregiver requiring some respite. Whether it be a regular break every week when the companion carer visits or temporary companionship care to cover full-time for the family caregiver so they can take a much-needed break.
Peace of mind
Senior care provides peace of mind, not only to the elderly person but also to their family. It’s especially helpful for families who do not live near their older loved ones. A Trinity carer can keep an eye on an elderly person’s welfare and provide feedback to the family, informing them and letting them know if there are any issues or changes in their loved one’s life.
Quality of care
The quality of one-to-one personal care, companionship, and support is unrivalled by residential care homes. Senior care provides complete continuity of care by carers who know and respect you. With over 25 years of experience and multiple awards in home care excellence, you can be safe in the knowledge that you are receiving the highest standards of care available.
How do you know if your loved one needs senior care?
If you have an elderly loved one living alone, you probably worry about their welfare. You may wonder how you will know when they need extra support to keep them safe and well.
Here are some common warning signs that your elderly loved one needs help at home:
Personal hygiene
Neglecting personal hygiene is one of the most significant signs that your loved one is finding life alone challenging. Whether it’s the smell of body odour, bad breath, unclean clothes or changes to how they usually dress, these are all signs that they’re struggling to do things that were once easy.
Sudden weight loss or gain
If you see an elderly loved one showing unexplained weight loss or gain and changes in personal appearance, this could be a warning sign that you shouldn’t ignore. They could be sick without knowing it or may be clinically depressed and experiencing a loss of appetite. It may be a sign that they are not eating well or may indicate cognitive decline that causes them to forget to eat or how to use the kitchen confidently.
Dirty home
A messy home isn’t necessarily a bad sign if your elderly loved one has always lived that way. However, if they have always maintained a clean home and you now notice that it’s dirty and unkept or things are stacking up around the home, such as unopened mail, this is a sign that they are overwhelmed.
Trips and falls
If your loved one has recently suffered a fall at home, this is another telltale sign that they need extra support. Assess and clear the home of fall and trip hazards, talk with your loved one about mobility support, such as a walking stick or frame, and reassess whether they are safe living alone.
Withdrawn and lonely
It’s normal for people to slow down as they get older. However, if your loved one usually enjoys company and socialising but now seems withdrawn or has started avoiding social events that they used to enjoy, it could be a sign of depression. Elders living alone face an increased risk of loneliness and social isolation, which is often expressed as anxiety and depression.
Memory loss and cognitive decline
It’s normal that our memories become less sharp as we age. However, if you start to notice significant lapses of memory regularly – such as forgetting to take medications or eat at the usual meal times – these are significant issues that need addressing.
Similarly, if your loved one is getting lost in familiar places and is showing signs of forgetfulness and confusion, these significant signs are too serious to ignore. These memory issues could be the early stages of dementia or Alzheimer’s, which means it is no longer safe for them to live alone.
To read more about identifying signs of loneliness in the elderly, read our blog here.
How to arrange senior care with Trinity
Trinity Homecare offers a free, no-obligation enquiry service, including a free at-home care needs assessment before any care is put in place. This allows you to explore the service and get all the information you need to make the right decision for you.
To arrange senior care with Trinity Homecare, simply follow these steps:
- Call our expert care team today to discuss your needs.
- We will arrange a free, at-home care needs assessment for you or your loved one so we can completely understand your needs and wishes, and provide tailored care that meets your exact needs.
- We will create a personalised care plan that reflects your needs and wishes, and details exactly how care will be delivered.
- Trinity will match a professional carer with you or your loved one so you can enjoy the benefits of senior care without any delay.
- Care is flexible and can be adapted whenever needs change.
If you or your loved one could benefit from senior care, contact us today. Our expert care team is ready to take your call on 01908 183 4648 every day between 7.30 am and 5.30 pm.
Alternatively, make an online enquiry, and we will be in touch with you very soon.
