KEEP HYDRATED AND PLAN AHEAD

With summer seemingly here, we all have a responsibility to make sure that our older loved ones keep hydrated during any hot spells of weather even if they are not living with dementia.

HOT WEATHER
If it’s going to be particularly hot it’s a good idea to check on others you think might struggle in the heat. Keep blinds down and windows closed when it’s cooler inside than out and don’t forget that most medication should be kept below 25°C – so it might be best to keep it in the fridge when it’s really hot.

Dementia UK offers lots of additional useful tips including how to keep hydrated, staying cool with appropriate clothing and even how to look out for someone who you might be concerned for, but you are too far away to be hands on. Follow this link for more information: https://www.dementiauk.org/information-and-support/health-advice/keeping-a-person-with-dementia-safe-during-hot-weather

HOLIDAYS
A well planned and thought through trip away for a person living with dementia can have a positive impact on their wellbeing. It can create new shared experiences, offer opportunities to engage in mindful activities and stimulation through new experiences. However, there are important things to consider when planning a holiday for a person with dementia, to make it relaxing and enjoyable for everyone.

The Alzheimer’s Society has a very comprehensive guide for families including how to prepare and pack, along with transport and travelling tips and different types of accessible holidays. Here’s a link:
https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/sites/default/files/2023-01/474LP-Going-on-holiday-when-a-person-has-dementia.pdf

At Otus we keep in touch with our clients’ carers regularly and share helpful advice. Indeed, it has been known for our clients to take their carers away on holiday with them. Whether you have an immediate need or are just thinking about future planning around the care for a loved one, there are many resources available online. But if you would like to speak to someone in person, we are all ‘Dementia Friends’ and would be happy share any help and advice we can, without obligation. Our number is 01403 710119.

LIVING WITH DEMENTIA – THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING ACTIVE

BENEFITS OF GETTING OUT IN THE FRESH AIR

Many of our elderly clients, particularly those living with dementia, benefit from getting out in the fresh air. One of our clients enjoys a walk along the beach with her dog accompanied by her Otus live-in carer nearly every day. Not everyone is close to a beach but many older people who are being cared for in their own homes do have a garden. Yes, help is often needed to keep a garden in shape but pottering in the garden can have a really positive effect on health for everyone.

Gardening at home can be a great way for people living with dementia to stay active and improve their wellbeing. If you don’t have a garden a walk to a local park or any open space can be just as beneficial.

A short walk around a garden can be a great way to alleviate stress and anxiety, as well as being a healthy way to fill the longer days during summer, thus helping to alleviate boredom. Taking part (if possible) in a physical activity such as gardening can help to stimulate the senses and memory, improving all round wellbeing. The Alzheimer’s Society – www.alzheimers.org.uk – offers many tips for people living with dementia to help them enjoy gardens and gardening. Here are a few examples:

• Sowing seeds into pots or beds can offer a sense of achievement as the plants grow, blossom and bloom. Choose plants to help stimulate the senses such as smell and touch. Avoid anything that is toxic to eat, or with thorns. Lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantine) for example, feels like velvet to the touch or fragrant bicolour Carnations (Dianthus) are brightly coloured and will fill the air with a lovely perfume.

• A water feature could help stimulate a person’s senses including sight and sound, as well as touch (if safe). It could also spark memories and encourage conversation. Listening to the sounds of a water feature can be soothing as well.

• ‘Rewilding’ an area of the garden to create a wildlife corner adds interest. Even consider leaving a small area of the garden alone – no mowing, trimming or weeding – watch and talk about what thrives and grows and the insects that visit.

• As long as overseen, small tasks in the garden can be undertaken by an older person, including someone who is living with dementia. Watering plants and deadheading or indeed harvesting produce can give a person a sense of purpose and accomplishment.

• And when the weather is favourable, what better than to enjoy lunch, afternoon tea or even supper outside. A picnic can be very relaxing and potentially bring back positive memories of times past. Experiencing picnic foods whilst sitting in the fresh air amongst the flowers in the garden is good for everyone’s soul.

Many Otus clients are elderly and living with some level of dementia. That’s why only carers who can clearly demonstrate that they have a minimum of two years’ experience caring for clients living with dementia, are considered when they apply to join our register.

Whether you have an immediate need or are just thinking about future planning around the care for a loved one, we are always happy to share advice. Everyone on the Otus team is a ‘Dementia Friend’ and would be happy to help in any way we can, without obligation. Our number is 01403 710119.

HOMECARE ASSOCIATION MARKET OVERIVEW

The Homecare Association* has just published its 2024 Market Overview. The detailed report looks at all areas of homecare for adults, including the growing self-funded market covering live-in care. Otus Live-in Care has been a proud member of the Association for over a decade.

The report estimates that there are “currently 10,000 people in England receiving live-in care and given our increasing population of older and disabled people, the self-funded market is expected to grow”. A key driver to this growth is the greater awareness of home as an attractive alternative to residential care. The report goes on to say that “providers in the self-funded market are better placed to meet quality of life needs, going beyond personal care, offering support to help clients remain socially engaged or maintain hobbies”.

As an established live-in care introduction agency Otus prides itself on delivering a personal service, 24 hours a day and always strives to surpass the expectations of its clients, their families and registered carers. Our aim is to always give sound advice, right from the first point of contact. With over a decade of experience, introducing self-employed carers to clients across the UK, the Otus team has built a strong reputation for offering a professional and informed personal service.

Current and past clients often share their appreciation with us, delivering the strongest recommendation anyone could ever hope for. The only way to get a true picture of what professional live-in care can deliver, is to learn from someone who has experienced it. We believe that the following extracts – taken from testimonials received from Otus clients – justly illustrate some key benefits of live-in care.

“Having live-in carers allowed our father to stay in his familiar home environment, according to his wishes. All the carers respected his dignity and his desire to be as independent as he could while keeping him safe.”

“Professional, knowledgeable and helpful in every aspect of their service. The Otus team understands exactly what is needed, not only at a practical level, but also at an emotional level too.”

“Your carers were remarkable and so amazing. We know that we would not have had the time we did with Mum if it wasn’t for their care.”

To us it really is personal. Every client has unique care needs, challenges and preferences. We are always happy to share our experience and advice with the aim of helping clients and their families make informed decisions.

Whether you have an immediate need or are just thinking about future planning around the care for a loved one, we would be happy to talk, without obligation. Our number is 01403 710119.

* The Homecare Association – https://www.homecareassociation.org.uk/ – is the UK’s membership body for homecare providers with over 2,200 members.

Will vs Living Will – what’s the difference?

Making a will is one of those things that a lot of us think about but according to the National Will Register, less than half of UK adults have actually put pen to paper.

At Otus Live-in Care, we often have conversations with clients and their families about later life planning – it’s an important part of understanding our clients’ needs and preferences – and very often this can include talking about a Will or Living Will. It’s important to seek advice from experienced legal professionals – something we always advise our clients to do.

Whilst they may sound the same, Wills and Living Wills serve very different purposes.

The most common type of Will is that associated with recording how to make sure your money, property, possessions and investments (known as your estate) go to the people and causes you care about when you die. Knowing that you have chosen what you want to happen can also help ease distress for loved ones left behind as well as minimise potential disputes.

However a Living Will is a document you can create that’ll serve to advise (in advance) your wishes about the type of end-of-life treatment and care plans you do – or don’t – want. The main purpose of a Living Will is to ensure your voice is heard when it comes to medical intervention and care, even if you’re in a position where you can’t speak for yourself.

A Living Will makes sure medical decisions that are made on your behalf respect your wishes. These decisions could be in regards to everything from medication, to what extraordinary measures should be taken to save your life, to if you’d ever want feeding tubes used, to your feelings on life support. Essentially, a Living Will dictates the medical decisions you would want, before they ever need to be made.

Throughout the month of March, solicitors across the country are supporting an awareness campaign promoting the importance of not just making a Will, but making sure that it is kept updated. As a general rule, it is recommend that Wills are reviewed and updated every five years, or when a major change occurs that impacts you or your loved ones. This could be a marriage or a divorce, the birth of a grandchild or the death of someone close to you.

Otus has been introducing live-in carers to clients and sharing advice and guidance with families around later life planning for over 10 years. Whether you have an immediate need or are just thinking about future planning around the care for a loved one, we would be happy to talk, without obligation. Our number is 01403 710119.

LIVING WITH DEMENTIA
Many families who contact Otus Live-in Care are seeking support for a loved one who is living with dementia. So often the request to the Otus team is ‘how can we keep our loved one safe, allow them to maintain their independence and dignity, but remain living in their own home?’.

We are proud to say that we have been successfully helping families all over the UK do just this for over 10 years now – introducing carefully selected, experienced live-in carers to provide one-to-one care for our clients in their own home.

Currently it is estimated that over 944,000 people in the UK live with dementia and this is predicted to rise to 1 million by 2030.* Living with dementia is not just about the person who has been diagnosed – it also about that person’s loved ones who may be in a caring role or simply just in need of some help and advice.

There are many reference books available offering help and advice for families in this situation and one of the best ones Otus recommends is by Oliver James entitled ‘Contented Dementia’. It’s available from all good bookshops and online.

Last month, we shared some information issued by Alzheimer’s UK aimed at helping families cope during the festive period. Dementia UK is another charity offering very sound advice for those living with dementia. They recently launched a short video entitled ‘We live with dementia’. It’s available to view on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRAzcrsRDvk – the short film shines a spotlight on the stories of three families navigating life with dementia. It’s a powerful reminder that the condition doesn’t just affect the person with the diagnosis − everyone around them is affected too. The Dementia UK website also offers a lot of helpful advice – https://www.dementiauk.org/information-and-support/living-with-dementia.

Whether you have an immediate need or are just thinking about future planning around the care for a loved one, there are many resources available online. But if you would like to speak to someone in person, we are all ‘Dementia Friends’ and would be happy share any help and advice we can, without obligation. Our telephone number is 01403 710119.

*Research conducted by Bournemouth University, published in the Homecare Association Journal, December 2023

Be calm, be kind and be patient

The festive season is a great time for families coming together. The prospect of seeing and spending time with extended family, particularly for the older generation, is something that most look forward to. However, it can be a time of anxiety for anyone who is living with dementia. A change in routine, environment, big family groups and lots of faces can cause confusion, be overwhelming and exhausting.

Friends and family of Otus clients often say how hard it is to adapt to unexpected changes they see in a loved one who is living with dementia and that the festive season can be one of the most difficult times of the year.

Additionally, for the elderly living alone, the festive season can be a tough time of year, especially if they have reduced mobility limiting their opportunities to socialise resulting in feelings of loneliness and isolation. Our clients’ families frequently tell us that one of the key benefits of having a live-in carer is knowing that their loved one has company and most importantly, has someone there to help keep them safe.

Understanding a bit more about the disease can make a difference. The word ‘dementia’ describes a set of symptoms that may include memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem-solving or language. These changes are often small to start with, but for someone living with dementia, they have become severe enough to affect daily life. A person living with dementia may also experience changes in their mood or behaviour. It is true that it affects more people over 65 but it is not exclusively an older person’s disease; younger people get dementia too. But it’s always worth remembering that it is possible to live well with dementia and our best approach is to be calm, be kind and be patient.

The Alzheimer’s Society has published a very helpful list of simple ways we can all help support someone living with dementia during the holiday season – https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/blog/how-support-dementia-christmas – whether you are a family carer, paid carer or just someone who might be spending time with older family members, it is well worth a read.

If you have any concerns about a family member or friend/neighbour over the holiday period and think they might benefit from live-in care, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team. Everyone at Otus is a registered Dementia Friend – https://www.dementiafriends.org.uk/ – and would be happy to share any help and advice they can without obligation. Tel: 01403 710119 or email [email protected].

OTUS CELEBRATES MEMBERSHIP

Otus Live-in Care is proud to be celebrating ten years’ Homecare Association (HCA) membership – the industry’s leading membership body for care agencies, including introduction agencies such as Otus. Along with the majority of introduction agencies which make up a large percentage of the live-in care market, Otus has benefitted from full membership of the HCA since the agency was established in 2012.

The HCA is the professional association of home care providers from the independent, voluntary and not for profit and statutory sectors. Membership requires Otus to adhere to the principles and values of the HCA – a code of practice – and gives the agency access to professional advice and guidance on issues affecting the industry. The work that the Homecare Association undertook during the pandemic was invaluable to all members – indeed Dr Jane Townsend, CEO of HCA was awarded an OBE in the 2023 New Year Honours list for her services in the homecare sector with particular focus on the Covid-19 pandemic.

Otus Live-in Care is privately owned and managed by husband and wife team Paul & Stephanie Isaacs. In addition to the HCA, Otus is an affiliate member of The Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA). SOLLA was founded in 2008 as a not-for-profit organisation to meet the need of consumers, advisers and those who provide financial products and services to the later life market.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) only chooses to monitor and inspect businesses where carers are employed by the agency. As an introduction agency, Otus is confident that it conducts its business in such a way that, should the introductory model fall under CQC regulation in the future, its standards would not only meet but exceed those determined by the CQC.

LIVE-IN CARE CAN SUPPORT NHS INITIATIVE TO TACKLE WAITING LISTS

The NHS has announced that it is investing £160 million to tackle waiting lists and develop a blue print for elective surgery recoveries. Details have been released of how it is trialing new approaches that will help reduce the massive backlog of elective operations by enabling hospitals to move ‘faster and further’.

The new approaches focus on improving patient support and care, predominantly outside the hospital environment. Initiatives being implemented include virtual wards and home assessments, at-home antibiotic kits, ‘pre-hab’ for patients about to undergo surgery and special ‘Super Saturday clinics’ where multidisciplinary teams come together at the weekend to offer more specialist appointments and support.

In line with these initiatives, an additional way hospitals could achieve faster progress on reducing waiting lists and freeing up hospital beds is if more patients were able to continue their post procedure care within their own home with the support of an experienced live-in carer. But this would only be possible if more local authorities and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) recognise the benefits of live-in care as an affordable and effective way to provide support for someone outside the hospital environment. Here are just a few of the benefits:

• A live-in carer can provide physical support, companionship and every level of personal care to help a person with their recovery.

• With a live-in carer in place, families can be confident that their loved one is safe and receiving one-to-one care, 24 hours a day.

• A live-in carer can encourage their client to follow any health plan provided as part of the discharge from hospital, including exercise plans and dietary needs, monitoring medication and recovery progress, as well as ensuring follow-up appointments are not missed.

• Privacy and comfort – a live-in carer can help someone with all their personal care needs – full assistance with mobility (using a hoist); assistance with bathing, washing and dressing (including help getting into and out of the bath or shower); continence care and help with toileting (including the emptying of commodes or catheters) – in the privacy and comfort of their own home.

• With the pandemic continuing to be a concern for all, a live-in carer can ensure that all advice and protocols are followed, minimising any risk.

No one wishes to spend any more time than necessary in hospital and this has been particularly so throughout the COVID pandemic when having visitors has not been allowed.

Otus Live-in Care is a privately owned company offering a bespoke service introducing personal live-in carers and companions to clients in their own homes. We are dedicated to help provide support for those who want to remain living in their own home independently, but with the security that they have someone living with them to deliver support and provide companionship. To find out more, call us on 01403 710119 or email [email protected].

This year has been a challenge for everyone not least for those caring for our loved ones. We are very proud to say that Otus registered carers have helped and supported many families this year, working especially hard to keep our clients safe throughout the pandemic. The spotlight has definitely been shone on the incredible work that they do – the value and benefits of being cared for in one’s own home have never been clearer – and we believe that they deserve a huge thank you from us all.

Our registered carers personal commitment to making a difference throughout these unprecedented and challenging times, combined with their willingness to help others is inspiring. Many of our clients’ families have let us know how grateful they have been for the professional way we all responded at the beginning of the first lock down and as the whole pandemic continued to unfold. We received calls and emails from many clients and with their permission, have added their comments to our testimonials on this website.

With their ongoing commitment and hard work, we are confident that our register of carers will to continue delivering exceptional care for our clients throughout the festive holidays and through the New Year ahead, caring for our vulnerable loved ones safely in their own homes. On behalf of our clients and their families, thank you. December 2020