Everyone has their own way of going about their day - usually starting with getting washed and dressed, before tucking into a favourite breakfast. However, certain situations and circumstances can upset these routines, and it can also become increasingly difficult to enjoy the things that used to be second nature to do. As we become more frail, being supported to maintain a good quality of life can make all of the difference - and it doesn't have to be the case that independence gets taken away. In fact - you can be empowered to retain any independence that has dwindled over the years. Domiciliary care offers this help on a day to day basis. As a domiciliary care provider, Integral Care is committed to supporting people to remain healthy and happy in their own homes, for as long as possible.

What is domiciliary care?

Domiciliary care - or home care - enables older people to remain at home, whilst receiving additional support from a trained carer. The carer is able to offer assistance with everything from getting up in the morning, to preparing meals and doing light housework. Visits are scheduled based on individual need. Often, individuals will start by receiving a couple of visits per week and then will gradually receive more visits as their needs increase. When needs become so great that round-the-clock care is needed, a domiciliary care provider can hand over to a live-in care provider, who will deliver 24:7 care, enabling you to continue living at home.

For those not familiar with domiciliary care it is worth noting that anyone can benefit from this type of care at any point in their lives, it’s available to everyone regardless of age or circumstance. For those coming out of the hospital, assistance in the comfort of home is a reassuring option rather than an extended stay in a hospital setting. Domiciliary carers can help with a range of tasks including personal care, managing medication, shopping as well as more specialist care such as dementia and palliative care. The services are tailored to each individual and are common practice during periods of rehabilitation, convalescence and recuperation.

There are many positives that come with being cared for at home, but one of the key benefits is that it is a very flexible model of care that allows for you to be supported as you need. For example, you may require support with administering your medication, or you may instead only need to be prompted to take your medication throughout the day. Regardless - your trained carer will be on hand to offer encouragement and assistance that's suited to you.

Another advantage of being cared for at home is that you're able to remain surrounded by your local community. Maintaining social connections becomes even more important as we age - a good conversation can brighten a day, and can help you to keep mentally stimulated. With domiciliary care, we're on hand to support you to get out and about so that you can continue enjoying your neighbourhood and places of interest, over the years.

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Who provides domiciliary care?

Domiciliary care agencies employ trained carers to support people living in their own homes. Often, we will welcome people into our team who have held caring responsibilities for many years - and we offer ongoing support and education to make sure each carer is remaining on top of best practice and regulation. Our carers are multi-skilled, and as well as supporting you with practical things such as bathing or using the bathroom, they're also more than happy to offer companionship or to accompany you outside. We recruit our carers based on their values - and only employ people who we would be happy to have caring for our own loved ones.

As we provide regulated activities such as personal care, we are registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). They visit us on a regular basis to monitor, inspect, and regulate our services, checking that they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety. A link to our latest CQC report can be found on our website.

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