We are often told that when we are considering home , whether for the elderly, or for those who have difficulty carrying out everyday tasks (simple or complex tasks) that it is preferable to choose private or self-funded home care providers where possible. The difference in the cost of services compared to the value of having a flexible, reliable, quality service needs to be considered.
I personally have firsthand experience of this through my Grandmother. When my Grandfather passed away she quickly deteriorated and it became apparent to all of us as a family that she was struggling with certain everyday tasks. We looked at a number of both public and private home care providers.
Nan as we call her, or Rosie as others call her, can’t see more than shadows in her right eye due to her glaucoma. This causes havoc when she tries to do anything and, although Nan tries, there are some things that my grandad always did for her. Nan’s frustration of not being able to carry out certain tasks was immense and served only to deepen the pain of all of our loss.
The turning point came when one day Nan was washing the dishes (badly) and a glass fell on the floor and smashed. Nan tried to clean it up but due to her glaucoma ended up leaving a few shards of glass on the floor. Later that day, she went into the kitchen and stood on a glass shard. The cut quickly became infected and, well to cut a long story short, she had to have two operations to get it right, as well as about six months without being able to walk on it.
This really woke us up to the fact that she really did need some home care services. We looked at various options from public to private care for the elderly at home.
Why We Chose a Private Company
We looked at all our options, from government assisted services to consumer directed care packages and we decided that we wanted to go for self-funded home care. Nan’s situation changed over time and we wanted to be able to tailor her care so that she got exactly what she needed, therefore cost couldn’t be an object.
The good thing about using a private home care provider is that they will prepare a program that is truly specific to the needs of each individual. When we first called them, Nan couldn’t do anything. Even making a cup of tea was a big mission so imagine her trying to cook, clean the bathroom or do the laundry.
Nan’s carer was an absolute godsend. At the commencement of the service, the carer literally did everything for Nan. Of course the family was there to help as well, but it was such a relief for both Nan and the rest of us (me, my two brothers and my Granfather) that the carer was there. It wasn’t just help around the house that she did, it was also the company. They would sit and chat about everything under the sun, from the state of the nation to what she was going to cook for lunch.
Over time Nan became more mobile as her foot improved and after her eye operation she found it a lot easier to carry out certain tasks. But as age takes its toll there are some things that she just can’t do. The private care services still help her keep her independence by taking her grocery shopping and to medical appointments, and come twice a week to clean the house and help with the laundry.
I really can’t speak highly enough about the effect that the carers have had on my Nan’s life as well as the rest of the family. The decision to go with a private homecare provider like A.P. Care Services was the best one that we ever made and is testament to the fact that life is short so it’s important to concentrate on its quality.
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