When a loved one needs emergency care, it can be a stressful and uncertain time. You may worry that there’s no time to create a comprehensive plan to address their needs, especially if unforeseen circumstances have escalated their support requirements.
Whether your loved one has been discharged from hospital after an accident or has experienced a rapid decline in health, an emergency home care plan can help you feel in control. Today, we’ll explore everything you need to know about creating an emergency care plan.
What Is Emergency Home Care?
Emergency home care is professional support for individuals who need immediate care at home. It is often organised on short notice, with many home care providers setting it up within days. An emergency carer can provide assistance with daily living, mobility and symptom management.
Key factors that differentiate emergency home care from other types of care include:
- Rapid implementation: Unlike planned care, emergency home care is set up and implemented quickly to address urgent needs.
- Support in emergency situations: Emergency carers are vigilant in reducing the risk of falls, injuries, and hospital admissions at home, and can help individuals navigate rapid health deterioration.
- Services provided: Emergency home care can assist with daily routines, mobility support, meal preparation and companionship for individuals who suddenly require round-the-clock care.
- Duration: People don’t always know how long they’ll need emergency home care for, so it can be offered on a temporary basis or as a more permanent solution.
Who Is Emergency Home Care For?
Emergency home care is available for anyone who needs it. There are countless scenarios that might mean emergency care is required, from a person with dementia experiencing rapid deterioration due to an illness to a primary carer falling ill and unable to care for their loved one.
Here are some of the most common reasons for emergency home care being needed:
- A person is discharged from hospital earlier than expected and needs support at home
- The primary carer falls ill and is no longer able to care for their loved one as effectively as required
- The individual has an unexpected fall, stroke or severe illness that changes their care needs instantly
- Rapid deterioration of a person’s condition means that they need round-the-clock palliative or end-of-life care
- Family and friends are concerned that their loved one isn’t safe living independently at home, but don’t want to consider residential care
Is There Time to Create an Emergency Care Plan?
One of the biggest concerns about emergency home care is the lack of time to create a care plan. A care plan is essential for home care, as it outlines how your loved one wants to live at home, ensuring their needs and preferences are met. When emergency care is arranged within a matter of hours, there isn’t always time to create an emergency care plan.
At Country Cousins, we understand the anxiety this can bring for individuals and their loved ones. To reduce this as much as possible, we have a plan in place to support your loved one’s needs and honour their wishes:
Step 1: Arrange Emergency Home Care
When emergency home care is required, we’ll prioritise finding a fully trained, compassionate carer in your loved one’s area. During our initial phone call, we’ll discuss your loved one’s needs and ensure the carer we choose is fully equipped to meet them.
We can schedule emergency home care within just 24 hours, ensuring your loved one isn’t left alone and vulnerable.
Step 2: Initial Care Plan
Once our carer has reached your loved one, they will get to know their personality, needs and wishes. This information will help them create a basic care plan that ensures your loved one receives the highest standard of care, based on the information they’ve provided.
Our carer can then begin supporting your loved one straight away.
Step 3: Reassess Carer Pairing
While your loved one is receiving professional care at home, we’ll continue searching our carer database to ensure we’ve found the right match. Your loved one can also get to know their carer and decide whether they’re happy to continue with the initial match.
You can talk to us at any time if you’re unhappy with your carer. We will begin the matching process again, no questions asked.
Step 4: Solidify Long-Term Solution
Once your loved one’s immediate care needs are met, we’ll solidify a long-term solution and create a comprehensive care plan. This is used as a living document that our carers can adjust and add to as often as necessary, ensuring your loved one can live life the way they want for as long as possible.
Types of Emergency Home Care Offered by Trinity Homecare
Emergency care can be provided for a range of different care needs, depending on what your loved one requires.
At Trinity Homecare, we can provide emergency home care for a number of scenarios, including:
- Live-in care: Emergency live-in care involves a fully trained carer moving in to live with your loved one, providing round-the-clock support.
- 24-Hour Care: Round-the-clock support, day and night, usually involving two carers rotating shifts to ensure your loved one receives sufficient 24-hour live-in care whenever they need it.
- Respite care: We can provide temporary respite to support your loved one when you can’t, whether due to busy schedules or an unforeseen illness.
- Complex care: Provides support for complex health conditions, including dementia, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis and more.
- Palliative care: Palliative care offers compassionate support for your loved one as they’re nearing the end of their life, from the comfort of home.
- Overnight care: Overnight care offers support throughout the night, when your loved one might be at the highest risk of falling or wandering away from home.
- Postoperative care: Postoperative care provides short-term support as your loved one recovers from a surgical procedure, reducing their time in the hospital and helping them readjust to life at home.
These are just a few of the care services we offer. We’ll work with you and your loved one to ensure their care plan covers all of their support needs, so don’t worry if you don’t know what service you need. We’ll create a personalised plan perfectly tailored to your requirements.
Talk to Us Today
At Trinity Homecare, our ultimate goal is to enrich your lifestyle in the comfort and familiarity of your own home. This allows you to live the independent lifestyle that you love without the daunting thought of moving into a care home. We are here to support you with various forms of live-in care.
Call us now on 0207 183 4884 in confidence for a free, no obligation quotation. If enquiring outside of our opening hours, please complete our online form and we will contact you the next day.
