Before you can get a carer for yourself or a loved one, you would need to understand the care needs and assess the type of help that would be needed. Some elderly are capable of moving around and going to the toilet on their own but need help with cooking and cleaning around the house. Others are more restricted in movement and may also need help with medication or incontinence support.
Determining the real needs and requirements of the elderly person takes time and precision. In most cases, an interview is conducted at the client’s home to determine their exact needs and the scope of help that a carer can provide. This includes using a questionnaire called the care assessment form.
The care assessment normally is carried out by a specialist. The client is asked a number of questions to find out what they need. Questions can be general in nature or more private, such as:
- Can the patient dress and undress him or herself or do they require help?
- Is the client suffering from any medical illnesses or conditions that require special medication such as diabetes, high blood pressure etc.?
- Is the client capable of moving him or herself from the bed to the armchair?
- Can the client prepare his or her own medicine?
- Do they suffer from any mental disorders like Alzheimer/dementia etc.?
The interview questions are used to determine the daily activities that the client can do on their own, how often they need help from their carer and the activities for which they are completely dependent on help.
The most frequently asked questions are based on geriatric. In many cases, the general practitioner who visits the patient at home does not have enough time or specialization to conduct a reliable interview with the patient and their family.
The option for care assessment is also available on our website so you can theoretically conduct such an interview yourself to determine the client’s needs. The only problem with this approach is that we have seen some incorrect interpretation of the answers from clients or their families, leading to incorrect conclusions.
For instance, the question about getting out of bed and moving into an armchair alone would not settle the issue of pressure ulcers. When the assessment is carried out by a specialist, they are able to assess the risks of pressure ulcers, and determine the possible needs and scope of rehabilitation. They can also find out specific requirements of the client for his or her digestive or respiratory systems etc.
We suggest that a client’s care assessment is best left to a specialist. The specialist will help prepare a framework for the care plan that can be followed by the caregiver. The client’s family will know the scope of duties that the carer has with the client. It can be easier to check the activities performed by the carer every day, when necessary, and raise questions about tasks that do not make sense.
In cases where the client does not require the use of drips or washing in a lying down position, they do not require a qualified nurse. On the other hand, when the patient does require such help, the specialist will make sure that an unqualified carer is not assigned to the client.
Being dependent on a nurse does not mean that a medically qualified carer must be with the patient all the time. For instance, you can hire a nurse for an hour a day to perform difficult treatments, and book another, less expensive carer to perform other help throughout the day.
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VERITAS CARE LTD
Basepoint Enterprise Centre,
Stroudley Road, Basingstoke,
Hampshire, RG24 8UP
Call us: 0118 328 0478
Call us: 0118 328 0478
