Category: Caregiver Advice

Caregiver Advice

My Home Care Poem

My Home Care Ireland

A helping hand, a listening ear, any time, day and night, weekend or year.

To guide and support, on us you can depend, on a carer, a nurse or just even a friend.

Your involvement is crucial, your need’s are put first, maintaining dignity, respect, trust and self worth.

Our aim is to foster independence and choice, to increase your abilities and act as your voice.

From early to late year’s, whether you have support or live alone, we deliver excellence in care in the comfort of your own home.

Natalie Clarke – Homecare Nursing Manager

Caregiver Advice

The Changing Face of Homecare

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The Changing Face of Homecare

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.

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 Assistant or Home Help. Care Assistants 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.

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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, Companionship for Alzheimer/Dementia patients and many more.

Pre/Post Natal Home Support:

This package designed by myhomecareie.wpengine.com runs for a 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.

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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.

I hope you have found the above information to be useful and informative and should you have any questions or require any assistance please do not hesitate to contact me.

 

Caregiver Advice

Palliative Care

Palliative care:

From Latin palliare meaning to cloak) is an area of healthcare that focuses on relieving and preventing the suffering of patients. Unlike hospice care, palliative medicine is appropriate for patients in all disease stages, including those undergoing treatment for curable illnesses and those living with chronic diseases, as well as patients who are nearing the end of life.

Palliative medicine utilizes a multidisciplinary approach to patient care, relying on input from physicians, pharmacists, nurses, chaplains, social workers, psychologists, and other allied health professionals in formulating a plan of care to relieve suffering in all areas of a patient’s life. This multidisciplinary approach allows the palliative care team to address physical, emotional, spiritual, and social concerns that arise with advanced illness.

Palliative care:

  • provides relief from pain, shortness of breath, nausea, and other distressing symptoms;
  • affirms life and regards dying as a normal process;
  • intends neither to hasten nor to postpone death;
  • integrates the psychological and spiritual aspects of patient care;
  • offers a support system to help patients live as actively as possible;
  • offers a support system to help the family cope;
  • uses a team approach to address the needs of patients and their families;
  • will enhance quality of life;
  • is applicable early in the course of illness, in conjunction with other therapies that are intended to prolong life, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Palliative care and children

Palliative care for children is delivered differently from the palliative care services for adults. Many children requiring palliative care have life-limiting conditions, as opposed to advanced terminal conditions and children may survive for many years with these life-limiting conditions.

Where children need palliative care it is usually provided at home. In the home, the family is supported by their family doctor, public health nurse and the specialist palliative care team (where available). The medical and nursing care of children in hospitals is the responsibility of paediatric-trained medical and nursing staff, with support from the specialist palliative care service.

What does the Irish Association for Palliative Care do?

Established in 1993 as an all island body with the purpose of promoting palliative care nationally and internationally, the Irish Association for Palliative Care (IAPC) is a multi-disciplinary membership organisation.

The membership reflects the entire spectrum of all those who work in or have a professional interest in the provision of palliative care, i.e.,doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains and pastoral carers, pharmacists, psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therpaists, dieticians, as well as executive staff and academics and educationalists. Membership also includes clinicians and allied health professionals working in related areas such as geriatrics, oncology, psycho-oncology, paediatrics, and pain management.

As a sole membership organisation for those involved in the provision of palliative care, the IAPC is the primary collective and expert voice for palliative care in Ireland.

The core objectives of the IAPC are to:

  • strengthen the capacity of the palliative care sector through developing the professional capacity of individuals
  • promote the palliative care agenda through the Association’s collective and expert voice
  • drive patient-centred, equitable and accessible palliative care for all who need it through utilizing the Association’s expertise to influence and shape national policy.

For more information on IAPC please go to http://www.iapc.ie/index.php