Home Help with Grocery Shopping and Errands

For many people, a weekly food or grocery shop is an essential part of life, enabling you to choose the foods, brands and products you love.

But getting out to do grocery shopping or running errands like collecting prescriptions can become more difficult as you age. This can be due to many factors, like reduced mobility and increased frailty or health conditions like dementia, which can make going out alone unsafe.

At Trinity Homecare, we are committed to helping people live rich and fulfilling lives in their own homes. Our carers can deliver bespoke home help with grocery shopping and errands. This ensures you can continue to access the products you love in a way that feels manageable for you, whether that’s sending a carer shopping on your behalf or having their assistance and completing the shop together.

Find out more about our home help services and the benefits of getting support below.

Why might elderly people need help with their shopping?

Age UK says one in five (19%) of people aged 80-84 say they have difficulty shopping for groceries, and this figure rises to 60% for those aged over 90. The reasons for this are complex and multi-faceted. Some older people find the following factors contribute to their difficulty getting to the shops:

• Lack of transport – many older people no longer drive, so unless public transport is readily available in their area, transport can be a barrier to grocery shopping or running errands.
• No local shops – a reduction in local ‘corner shops’ means many older people can’t access groceries near them.
• Reduced mobility – a reduction in mobility can make many tasks more difficult. This can include things like getting on and off public transport, walking around the shops or reaching certain products that are placed high up or low down on shelving.
• Reduced strength – this can make carrying heavy shopping bags full of groceries much more difficult.
• Lack of access to online services – while online shopping and grocery delivery could offer many older adults the ideal solution, many are unable or unwilling to access these services.

 

What shopping support services are available?

When it comes to getting help with your shopping there are a few different options available, including:

Grocery home delivery services

Many leading supermarkets offer grocery delivery services direct to your home. This alleviates the hassle of having to leave your home. However, you will need to be able to access the internet to place the order or have friends or family who can do this for you. You also need to bear in mind that you aren’t able to hand select items like your fruit and veg or meat and will just receive what is picked for you.

Internet shopping

It is also possible to shop for other items like clothing or household goods online too. Again, you will need access to the internet or people who can access it for you, should you wish to try internet shopping.

Escorted services

Some local councils and charities offer escorted bus services to help you get to the shops. One of the benefits is that this enables you to remain independent and socialise with others while knowing some support is on hand should you need it. However, these services may not be available in all areas, so it’s a good idea to check with your local council to find out what support they can offer.

Home help

Home help services offer support with grocery shopping and running errands tailored to your needs. This could involve a carer shopping or performing errands on your behalf, or them transporting you to your local shopping centre and supporting you with your own shopping. The benefit of home help services is that you get the support you need when you need it and can still retain a sense of control and independence over your grocery shopping.

At Trinity Homecare, our home help carers can offer fully bespoke support that includes supporting you with your shopping or running errands on your behalf. They will take note of your preferences and requirements so you can rest assured you’ll get the products you want and need.

 

What are the benefits of home help with grocery shopping and errands?

The benefits of having home help carers help with grocery shopping and errands include:

• Ensuring you continue to eat well – by getting help with your shopping, you may be able to access a greater variety of foods and be able to continue to eat well. Maintaining healthy nutrition is vital as you age as it can help reduce the symptoms of some health conditions and ensure you are getting all the vitamins and minerals your body needs to function optimally.
• Reducing the risk of falls – by getting the support of carers with your groceries or errands you can help to reduce your risk of falls when out and about.
• Reducing stress levels – having one less job to think about or do can help to reduce your stress levels and boost your overall well-being.
• Offering peace of mind – if you have been struggling with your shopping, getting help can offer complete peace of mind to both you and your loved ones that you are getting the support you need, as and when it is needed.

Arranging home help for grocery shopping and errands

At Trinity Homecare, our home help carers can help with grocery shopping and running errands in a way that is tailored to your needs. This includes:

• Visiting carers – visiting carers will come to your home at pre-arranged times to assist with your grocery shopping or run any errands you may have. This could be transporting you to the shops or shopping on your behalf. Visiting carers will visit for a minimum of thirty minutes, and visits can be scheduled multiple times a day or week, depending on your needs.

This type of care is best suited to individuals who don’t need round-the-clock support but feel they would benefit from help with their grocery shopping.

Find out more about our visiting care and how it might be right for you.

• Live-in carers – live-in carers move into your home with you to provide 24/7 care as and when it’s needed. They can complete a variety of tasks throughout the day, from washing and dressing you to preparing your meals, and even shopping for your groceries or running errands like collecting prescriptions.

Live-in care is best if you need round-the-clock support, whether due to age, frailty or an existing health condition, such as dementia.

Learn more about how our nationwide live-in care could help support you to continue living in the home you love.

• Respite carers – when receiving respite care, it’s essential that the care you receive is of the same high standard you’re used to. So, if your usual carer would normally do your shopping for you, this is something our carers can take care of for you.

Discover more about our respite care services.

• Home carers for after hospital discharge – if you have recently been discharged from hospital following an illness or operation, it is likely that you will need some additional support as you recuperate. Home carers who specialise in providing hospital discharge care can support many tasks from medication management to assisting you with your grocery shopping. This ensures you can rest and take the time needed to fully recover without having to worry about day-to-day tasks that need completing.

Find out how home care after hospital discharge can support your recuperation.

Trusted home care from Trinity

If you’re looking for home help with grocery shopping or errands or other housekeeping tasks, trust Trinity Homecare. For the past 25 years, we have provided the highest standards of care in the comfort of people’s own homes. We understand that deteriorating health and ageing can make everyday tasks like shopping for groceries more difficult. However, we passionately believe that choosing the dedicated support of our home help carers can help you continue to live a full life in the home you love.

Trinity Homecare is a fully managed care agency with an ‘Outstanding’ CQC rating, placing Trinity amongst the top 4% of all nationwide care companies in England. With this in mind, you can rest assured that your loved one will receive the highest standard of care and specialist support.

If you have any questions about arranging home care, simply get in touch with our helpful and knowledgeable care team.

Arranging nationwide home help with Trinity is straightforward. Simply follow these five steps:

1. Call our care team
2. Undergo a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your care needs and arrange a care assessment
3. After the assessment, a plan of care is created
4. A well-suited carer is found and placed
5. Care can be adapted at any time