Care in the Home – Affinity Plus
"We are going to focus on client routines, home support assistant responsibilities and positive engagement."
As part of our Expert Series, Affinty Plus Director ,Colette Beausang, discusses the importance of home care and respite as we grow older.
Author: Colette Beausang, November 24, 2021
As a care provider, Affinity Plus acknowledges the importance of looking at all aspects of an individual’s care. The Directors of Affinity Plus have been on both sides of the coin when it comes to providing care and looking for care and support within the home. We have seen so many benefits that it can provide, such as client independence, encouragement and it can support not just the client themselves but family members. Throughout this post we are going to touch on aspects that are second nature to us here at Affinity Plus and how we work with clients to ensure that they have the best experience possible. We are going to focus on client routines, home support assistant responsibilities and positive engagement.
Client routines
Affinity Plus acknowledge that each client has their own personal daily routine be it; going to the shop to get the paper, listening to a certain radio programme, or getting up at a certain time. Our goal is to complement the client’s daily routine to fit around what is important to them.
Making the decision to explore home support options is not easy and we appreciate how much of a privilege it is to become part of a client’s daily life. It takes time to build a rapport with a client and we ensure that this process is not rushed. We listen and hear what our client tells us.
Home support assistant responsibilities
Following on from client routines are the responsibilities of our Home Support Assistants. The responsibilities of our Home Support Assistants are to ensure that the client is encouraged to make decisions about their own lives and care, ensuring that the client and their needs and requirements are tended to, informing and documenting any client changes, ensuring that the client is safe and well upon leaving the home.
Positive engagement/family respite
Colette Beausang discusses the impact of home support which in turn provided positive engagement and family respite: “I sought some home support assistance for a member of my family several years ago.
I noted a huge change in my family member and their demeanor on the days that they knew that the additional support was coming. It gave my family member a real boost knowing that someone outside of the family circle was coming to the house to support them.
This gave me valuable respite time which replenished the ability to care for that family member. It is something I look upon now when I get to support others in their homes”.
To learn more about Affinity Plus & the service they offer, please visit https://www.affinityplus.ie/
About The Author
Colette Beausang, Director/Care Manager with Affinity Plus. Colette is a Cork native who specialised in home care for a vast number of years. Home care has always been Colette's passion, From caring to members of my family to caring within different healthcare settings I have seen the importance of how to listen to a client and what their needs are.
