Within the last 3 decades, care at home services has undergone changes that would make it largely unrecognizable to the sort of service received in the 1980s and before.
Instead, changes in regulation and technology have seen developments in almost all areas of care at home services and, in most respects, far superior to what you could have expected in the past.
Here are some of the most noteworthy changes:
Support For Dementia
A report carried out by BUPA in 2003 found that roughly 36% of elderly citizens suffer from some form of dementia. However, by 2015, the Alzheimer's Society put this figure closer to 80%.
It’s largely unsurprising due to the ever-increasing ages that people are now living to. Care at home services has followed this trend and you are now able to access specialist support from qualified nurses. In many more serious and advanced cases of this mental health deterioration, those suffering are encouraged to enter a living care home scenario.
Nevertheless, many different companies can still allow you to live from the comfort of your own home. Support and activities for residents suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s are easy to find and you can rest assured that your loved ones are getting the care they need wherever you decide is best for them to live.
Involvement Of Family Members
In the past, home care has been delivered in a way that is now considered much more institutional. With less training and awareness of caring for certain illnesses, a more one-size-fits-all standard of care could have been seen. Though, in today’s time, home care encourages family involvement, as well as analysing and caring for each person’s very specific set of needs.
Greater Regulation
Government-regulated bodies such as the Commission for Social Care Inspection and the Care Quality Commission have come into existence over the last few decades as a means to more closely monitor the care that elderly people are receiving and look for ways to improve upon that care.
These measures have been largely successful in protecting the interests of elderly citizens and increasing the levels of happiness of not just themselves, but also their families who feel more comfortable in the knowledge that their loved ones are receiving the care they need.