Stage 1 · Assessment
At home, with the family present.
Four kinds of non-medical home support, set out in a written care plan.
Isolation does real damage, and a regular visit from the same person does more than fill an hour. A caregiver who comes weekly notices the post piling up, the fridge going empty and the mood changing — and tells the family while it is still small.
At home, with the family present.
Personality matters as much as the rota.
Same caregiver, regular times.
The family hears what we notice.
Food they will actually eat.
The same tasks on the same days.
Trip hazards and bathroom risks.
Adjusted as needs change.
Cooking is often the first thing to go, and it goes quietly. We prepare meals to suit the diet a physician or dietitian has set, keep the walkways clear and the bathroom safe, and leave the home as somewhere someone can manage rather than merely occupy.
Giving up driving shrinks a life fast. Accompanied transport means appointments are kept, shopping gets done in person where someone wants that, and a caregiver can sit in the waiting room and relay what the doctor actually said to the family afterwards.
Appointments and regular errands.
Door to door, not dropped off.
What was said, passed on clearly.
Collected, never administered.
Routines written down properly.
While you are still there.
Regular, or for a defined period.
What happened while you were away.
Family carers hold most of this up and are usually the last to ask for anything. Respite cover is arranged on a regular schedule or for a one-off week, with the care plan written down so whoever covers does not have to be told everything twice.
A free home assessment, and an honest view of what is actually needed.