Care in the Community

There are many benefits of homecare both for the individuals themselves and also for their family members. The patient is able to remain in the familiarity of their own home with all the comfort and relaxation that this brings. Furthermore they get to maintain their own routine surrounded by their own possessions.For the family members they have the peace of mind of knowing that their loved one is being well cared for by fully qualified professionals in their own home. It allows them to spend quality time in a relaxed environment and cuts out the need of sometimes long and awkward to arrange visits to the hospital or other care facility. This is what care in the community is all about. myhomecareie.wpengine.com community image

Most people with advanced, progressive incurable diseases wish to spend their final days at home. Indeed 90% of the care of patients in the last 12 months of their life occurs at home, with the support of a general practitioner and community nurse team. Homecare is the preferred option for most people with terminal illness and it is well researched that people are happier and live longer in their own homes.

With this in mind myhomecareie.wpengine.com have designed a number of different packages to assist the older person. They are all nurse led, are tailored to the individual needs of the patient and are delivered under the direction of the medical and palliative team.

Looking after an elderly relative can be very rewarding, but can be a challenge and at times stressful. Many people set out with good intentions; however for many they find that they cannot cope alone with the challenges and stresses that can follow and turn to a care giver or home help. Care giver provide practical day to day help with the care of the elderly person. An important aspect to consider is that it allows family to remain detached from certain areas that an elderly person feels uncomfortable with such as personal care.

However, homecare now not only provides services for the care of the elderly but a range of services for all ages. These includes pre/post natal home support, care of children with additional needs, and companionship for Alzheimer /dementia patients and many more.

Pre/Post Natal Home Support:

This package designed by myhomecareie.wpengine.com runs for a pre-post-natal-massage total of 14.5 hours and is spread over 3 days. Five hours on the first two days and four and a half hours on the third day. The services include ironing, mopping, hoovering, general tidy up, bed-making, meal preparation, dusting and so on. It is particularly attractive for mothers who had a difficult pregnancy/childbirth.

Caring for a Child with Additional Needs:

It is now possible to avail of support from a team of nurses who are highly qualified in the care of children.

The services include the following:

Tracheostomy Care under the directive of the Community Care Team. Respite Care which can provide around the clock care allowing the family to take a break or a holiday. Convalescent Care/Post-Hospital Care which provides a helping hand after bringing the little one home from hospital and lastly Palliative Care giving support to both the child and family.

Oncology Care:

myhomecare clinic enables chemotherapy and oncology services to move out of the hospital and into the home.

Disability Care:

Designed to support and promote independent living in the clients own home and the wider community. Services are available to all individuals who may suffer with a disability whether it is physical, mental, emotional, sensory development etc.

Vaccination Programmes:

Providing vaccinations in your own home.

IV Therapy:

Enabling individuals to receive ongoing intravenous antibiotics facilitating early discharge from hospital.

Assisted Living Services:

Assisting with activities of daily living such as personal hygiene, dressing,mobilising, meal preparation, companionship, running errands and medication reminders.

All of the above services do of course cost money. However there is some help available. There are home care packages available from the HSE. These packages vary depending on needs. The priority of the scheme is older people, aged over 65, living in the community or in-patients in acute hospitals who are at risk of admission to long term care. To apply for a home care package contact the public health nurse for a form.

For those who choose to pay privately income tax relief is available, subject to some conditions. It is possible to receive relief of up to 41% of the cost of the service. It is also possible to claim this relief as part of your tax credits and so receive the benefits as part of your wages and therefore receive the benefits immediately.

Caregiver Advice

Why Mindfulness can empower elderly people and those who care for the elderly

Why Mindfulness can empower Elderly People and those who care for the Elderly

Our minds….The element of a person that enables us to be aware of the world and our experiences, to think, and to feel; the faculty of consciousness and thought, a person’s ability to think and reason; our intellect. One would think we should be mindful of this powerful tool..…shouldn’t we?

mindfulness4 Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, defines mindfulness as “the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgementally to the unfolding of experience moment by moment” (Kabat-Zinn, 2003). In slightly simpler terms, mindfulness is “the ability to be aware of your thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, and actions—in the present moment—without judging or criticising yourself or your experience.” (McKay, Wood & Brantley, 2007).

Digging deep into the practice of Mindfulness, it simply explores a single sense: taste, sight, sound, feel, and hearing. It moves on to explore a form of the sense, focus on the experience and the reactions to the experience, and process with discussions of the thoughts and memories that the experience arouses. The eventual goal is to join mind and body in acceptance of the moment.

Often elderly people can live uncomfortable, lonely, quiet lives. Teaching them to pay attention moment by moment, on purpose but without judgement, to each of their experiences, can improve of the quality of their lives, based on the demonstrated effectiveness of mindfulness techniques in many forms of therapy.

Mindfulness practice has a definite positive impact on issues such as recurrent depression, stress, anxiety, chronic physical pain and loneliness. For the elderly, chronic health conditions, the loss of self-determination in their daily lives, isolation, and a lack of interaction with the outside world can understandably take much of the joy out of life.

For elderly people, loneliness is a major risk factor for health problems-such as elderly meditation cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s. Mindfulness meditation training can be used as a novel approach for reducing loneliness and the risk of disease. Research suggests that mindfulness meditation training is a promising intervention for improving the health of older adults………so why not give it a try?

And let’s not forget our care-givers and practising mindful self-care for them. Many carers experience isolation and high levels of stress as a result of their caring responsibilities. Isolation is one of the prime factors in depression. Stress can also impact directly on both the physical and mental well-being of carers. Carers can become overwhelmed trying to balance work, family and care giving demands, often resulting in the neglect of their own well-being.

For carers, practising mindfulness works in equipping them with skills to use during their caring responsibilities which can lead to a wonderful partnership between both the person being cared for and the carer themselves helping them both foster relaxation, support and friendship.

So how can we introduce or reinforce the techniques of mindfulness with the elderly and those caring for them?

Here are some quick exercises to cultivate mindfulness in your life and support mindfulness practice in the life of a loved one such as a parent or grandparent.

Deep Breathing: As we age, our respiratory system can begin to break down. As our lives become more sedentary, we don’t use our lungs as much to expand and contract and the muscles that support our diaphragm get weaker. Deep breathing is critical for the elderly to keep their muscles strong, their lungs elastic and to keep things moving through their respiratory system. Try this for 3 minute each day and see how that feels. Just notice your breathing. Just notice that you are breathing in and out. Notice the in-breath and the out-breath. When thoughts come into your mind just return to your breathing. Do not get involved with them. Simply go back to noticing your breathing in and out.
Meditation: As we age, our focus shifts. We can start to worry about our death, illness, leaving our family and our finances. This can create tremendous anxiety. There is no better time to start or continue with a meditation practice. This can be done sitting in a chair, closing the eyes and simply bringing the attention to the breath. Incorporating meditation into every day can help you release theses anxieties.
Seated stretches: Yoga for anyone with limited mobility can be modified so that the person is seated in a chair. Moving the arms up and stretching towards the ceiling, placing hands on the sides and twisting from side to side and squeezing and releasing the hands are all simple movements that can relieve muscle tension and soothe stiff joints.
Being in the learning mode: Mindfulness comes from increasing your focus on one thing. This can be experienced in more than just meditation and yoga; you’ll find its part of simply learning something new. When we try new things, we feel alive, engaged and energised. These are all mindful qualities. For older people who have never tried yoga or meditation, an introduction to these techniques can reinforce to the elderly that learning always happens, regardless of age. It helps to create mindfulness triggers. Pick some everyday things that you do routinely. Decide that whenever you do them you will be mindful and will be aware that you are doing them. Examples are: using the telephone, going up or down stairs or steps, arranging your desk or other workspace, tidying, washing up, taking a shower.
Connection: Often, as people age, they lose control over different aspects of their lives. They may move into a nursing home. They may be on many medications. They may have to use a cane, walker or supplemental oxygen. They may feel like their body is not their own. Mindful techniques can help older adults feel a sense of connection to their body. This can be critical for creating optimal health, even as they manage the ongoing changes in their body.

So finally from me, one message I would like to give to you at this present moment is that life is most certainly a gift… so mind yourself, enjoy each moment and take your time unwrapping it.

gift_guide_photo

Le gach dea-ghuí

Bláthnait Ní Mhurchú

National Homecare Manager – Myhomecare.ie

Caregiver Advice

Providing Paediatric Care to the Community

Mission Statement

The philosophies which guide us in our approach to the paediatric care of sick children may be summarised as follows.

To provide the highest possible standards of care to the children for whom we are responsible and to achieve this in a reliable and consistent manner.
To recognise that the child is part of a family and that we have a duty to meet the needs of the whole family and to address their worries and concerns at all times.
To recognise that families come from a wide range of cultural backgrounds and therefore to take into account and to respect the varying cultural attitudes which we may encounter.
To acknowledge that there are no problem families or difficult families, there are simply families with problems or with difficulties which are part of our remit to address.
To recognise that we are part of a multi-disciplinary team and to maintain excellent levels of communication with other health professionals and social services at all times.
To maintain accurate record keeping at each attendance with the child and family involved.
To respect the needs and wishes of the family and to recognise that in allowing us to care for their child and to invite us into their home to do so, we are being granted a privilege which we will respect at all times.

Caregiver Advice

HCCI Fair Deal Budget Report

Report on home care sector shows that up to €2 billion could be saved through overhaul of tendering process and opening up of Fair Deal budget

Outsourcing could create 8,600 new jobs and 18 million additional hours of home help within existing budget

Up to 8,600 jobs could be created and €2 billion saved through reform of the home care sector, according to a new report from Home and Community Care Ireland (HCCI).

The research shows that €117 million per annum could be saved immediately through opening up the tendering of home help and home care services in Ireland. A further €256 million per annum could be saved if funds are redirected from the Fair Deal Scheme to more appropriate care provision for low and medium dependency older people in their own homes.

The report, The Business Case for the Outsourcing of Home Care Provision and a More Efficient Use of Fair Deal Funds, compiled by EPS Consulting for HCCI, the representative body of private home care providers in Ireland, outlines the need to address inefficiencies in the elder care model as a matter of urgency.

Key findings of the report:

Cumulative savings of €2 billion could be achieved over the next 8 years to 2021 in line with phased outsourcing and an end to the ring-fencing of one type of care over another;
The current cost of HSE / not for profit delivered home help services is 30 per cent more expensive than private sector rates;
Savings of €117 million per annum could be achieved if all home help and home care package provision was outsourced;
An additional €256 million per annum could result if 30 per cent of current patients with low to medium dependency under the Fair Deal Scheme (deemed potentially suitable for homecare but currently occupying more expensive residential places) were provided with intensive care at home;
More people are going to need support as our elderly population increases. Between now and 2021 the number of people over 65 is set to rise to nearly 800,000– a 40 per cent increase on 2006 levels.

Michael Harty, HCCI Co-Chair, said,

“Harnessing the outsourcing opportunity could support the creation of up to 8,600 jobs in the home care sector, as more patients will require care and more hours will be able to be delivered within the existing budget. These are local jobs that will be in every parish and community across Ireland, providing employment in many areas experiencing serious unemployment issues.”

Harty continued,

“A stated aim of the Minister for Health James Reilly and the HSE is to move care back into the community, yet present policy and funding do not reflect this. The current system of providing home care services to older people and disabled is unsustainable and has already reached a level that the Exchequer cannot afford.

“The Government needs to stop paying lip service and take action to address inefficiencies in the system, through a more open and transparent commissioning system which will help save money, create jobs, and stop the cuts to frontline services enabling thousands of people to be cared for in their own home.

“The money saved from competitive tendering could and should go toward providing more home care to those who need it most. Our proposal could generate an additional 18 million hours each year of home help within the existing budget. As budgets are being cut everywhere, the Government cannot afford to ignore making the changes needed in the home care sector.”

To download the report please click here.

About the Report:

HCCI commissioned EPS Consulting to explore the business case for a wider range of home care services to be tendered in line with the Department of Health’s challenge: that change should be implemented at scale and pace and more care should be delivered in the community.

The report provides evidence-based research to support the case for a phased outsourcing of home care services to 2021 in line with the Minister for Health and HSE calls for increased efficiencies and innovative models of care.

It also questions the wisdom of ring fencing budgets for one type of care over another rather than “letting the money follow the patient” in line with Government policy. The report found that up to €2bn could be saved over the next nine years if outsourcing and competitive tendering are brought in as Government policy.

About Home and Community Care Ireland (HCCI):

Home and Community Care Ireland (HCCI) was set up in June 2012 following a merger of the Home Care Association and the Professional Institute of Care Providers. It is the representative body for private home care organisations in Ireland with the primary objective of promoting the highest professional standards of care in the home, in a cost-effective manner.

At present the HCCI has 25 member companies providing employment to almost 8,000 staff and caring for over 6,000 people across every county in Ireland. Home care is a care alternative that is preferred by the majority of care recipients, contributes to improved quality of life and is a cost-effective treatment option. Our members include operators across the country providing 78,000 hours of care each week at the frontline of health service provision.

For further information: www.hcci.ie