Care as we experience it

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CARE

1. Care is about people - the caregiver and the receiver and it is vital that both parties have a similar perception of what constitutes good quality care. Service users in their own homes or in a care setting should be aware of the difference between good quality care and not good quality care so they know when to raise concerns.  This therefore means our service users should have access to information that helps them know and understand what is happening in the care industry and the different providers around who provide a recommended level of quality care. We should expect them to get value for money and be eager to expect to see their carers everyday than to be anxious. This notion is fundamental to the care giver as well – what do the people you care for think about you. The responsibility is on us to give a true reflection of the definition of good quality care which is rather the most common term with most. Hence I have to believe in something I didn’t used to believe in before, that actions speak louder than words. The people you give care to are more concerned by what one can do and how they do it for them rather than just the theoretical surplus which is always an all-encompassing aspect on the job. The key is to find the right balance between communicating and doing the practical as part of the job- knowing how to constantly engage with the service user during the whole intervention process.

Prejudice alone has influence on care givers’ assumptions about what the so called old people can and cannot do without actually giving them the opportunity to utilise their own independence. What constitutes 'old' remains undefined and of course is totally subjective, but it should suffice to say that chronological age is irrelevant (age is just a number) - you are as young as you feel. From this understanding we know we are not simply caring but we also supporting individuals to achieve to those tasks and activities that they feel they cannot fully complete alone – promoting their independence.
We remain advocates for people to continue to stay in their own homes as opposed to residential for as long as they wish, why? because it is still true that there is no place like home.  It would require more rigorous and regular inspections to change the perception of care in care settings to instil optimism in those who really need to be in care settings because circumstances are not always the same for everyone especially for those in constant isolation. However, home support is still recognised as a cheaper option as one only pays for their care for the times they really need it only and can also find extra support from their families and community ties.  It takes more than just the change of terminology from Care home to Housing with care as suggest state of care minister, to change people’s current perceptions about care settings as shown by the statistics that only 1 in 4 people say they would consider moving into a care home if they became frailer in old age, while 43% said that they definitely wouldn't move. We therefore anticipate a continuous growth in the homecare sector where people have the right to choose their own care in the hope that the service provider will meet or exceed their expectations. Remember people want control, choice and independence and to be involved in their care planning.
With the ever increasing competition in the care sector you only become as competitive as the REPUTATION you create - what do people say about your service? About SNe care one said, “you know they couldn’t find me better carers.” And another patient said, “it has been a whole different experience and every carer is just as good all the time.”
 I am proud of what we have achieved so far at SNE care we have given opportunity to those without experience -trained and supervised new staff and when you meet the same staff now you would not assume it is their first year working in care. We have allowed young persons an opportunity to work under supervision as part of allowing them to gain work experience which will influence their career path or a rather give them career options. We have channelled the experience staff to be in sync with our own ethos at SNe care. We chase a balance of consistency in terms of each staff member’s performance so each member is equally accepted for their uniqueness and praised for a common level of high performance as the rest of the team members.
We still hold a 100% record for our hospital to home discharge and by this we mean that for every client that we have supported and went to hospital then discharged, upon their discharge they have requested to continue to be supported by Sne Care team. We do as we say and this for the service users is great way to retain trust and continue to build confidence – “people do not care much what you know until you know how to care”. We continue to strive towards gaining Recognition that we are helping to sustain the lives of many through action propelled from the heart.