Home Help (cleaning, shopping, bill paying, and prescription collection) has obvious benefits such as a clean tidy home and the important errands taken care off.
Research shows that there are so many other benefits, and some of them are life changing!
In this Blog we’re going to share what they are and why they’re so important for all involved.
1. Staying Connected
Loneliness is understood to be one of the main influencers on poor health for older people, with demonstrable negative impacts on quality of life and well-being.
A regular visitor to the home that is known and trusted can bring new conversation each week, and customers tell us that our visit might be the only opportunity they have that day to talk to someone.
Once our home help workers have completed all of the necessary tasks, our customers are always asked if there are any other tasks around the home that they’d like us to complete. More often than not, customers value having the spare time to talk and be listened to. Loved ones of our customers tell us that they feel reassured by this too, and they often request this as part of our personalised home help care plans.
By taking the time to listen, our workers can quickly identify any additional needs, and with the client’s permission, we can signpost or make a referral to get some added support.
As a result of having Happy to Help Gateshead's support, 90% of clients feel less isolated and more resilient. (Social Value Business)
Home help reduces isolation for carers too.
Carers UK found that 8 out of 10 carers have felt lonely. By reducing the burden for carers, and freeing up their time, they can work, volunteer and take part in the sociable activities that they couldn’t find the time for previously.
2 Independence and Choice
“I’m able to stay at home” is a short but profound statement, and means a great deal to the person saying it. We hear it often.
Most people, regardless of age, have a real connection to their homes. It’s often a sanctuary, a place to retreat, and over spills with memories.
An older person may have lived in the same home for decades, raised a family there perhaps, and have lots of cherished possessions, furniture and nostalgia that they understandably do not want to part with if they can help it.
When tasks become a struggle, home help plays a key role in supporting an individual, or couple, to stay in their own homes, with the added benefits of being able to retain choice and control.
As a result of Happy to Help Gateshead's services, 84% of clients state that they feel more independent. (Social Value Business)
Choice is something we feel strongly about at Happy to Help Gateshead. We encourage people to continue to do tasks they can safely manage. Some clients prefer to do their own dusting, for example, or like to wash their own benches. For other jobs that are a struggle, we're more than happy to lend a hand.
If someone wants us to take care of all of the tasks, however, that's also absolutely fine by us.
Our personalised care packages are flexible too, and customers can change the tasks we do as and when they want. There's no contracts either, leaving choice and control with the household at all times.
3 Reduced Worry
Changes in our circumstances, health or ability to do things as we’ve always done them, can cause us to feel anxious or low.
Asking for support can be difficult too, and the thought of someone new coming into your home, or the home of your loved one, can also be daunting.
After 20 years of experience, we have heard lots of different concerns and anxieties about asking for, and receiving, help for the first time(we talk about some of them here).
Very soon after beginning the service, lots of people begin to feel a significant reduction in anxiety:-
84% of customers feel less anxious, and of these, 91% go on to experience better health. (Social Value Business)
Here are just a few of things that our customers and their loved ones tell us they feel much better about now:-
That we do checks on dates of food to avoid our customers becoming unwell
That the house is clean and safe to walk around in, with reduced risks of falling or illness
That the home is comfortable, and continues to give people a sense of pride and dignity in their surroundings
Customers feel they are no longer a burden on their loved ones
For carers, they are relieved that some of the pressure is taken away so that they can focus on other responsibilities and quality time.
4 A Positive Routine
Many of us are creatures of habit, and routine can bring us comfort. Home help services fit in to a weekly routine very nicely, with visits being held at the same time(s), on the same day(s), every week.
Many services like ours provide customers with the same home help worker each week too, which helps to build trust and a good relationship(some of our home help workers have been supporting the same individuals for over a decade!).
60% of customers value the routine and structure of having a Happy to Help Gateshead worker each week and disclose that, without it, they’d feel ‘fed up’ and at risk of feeling low. (Social Value Business)
5. Comfort and Reassurance
As we get older, we can experience a greater fear of various risks. We become more aware of our vulnerabilities.
Home Help support gives reassurance to older people, and their loved ones, through knowing that there is a regular visitor coming to the home.
We help to identify new risks, and any changes to the health or mood of our customers, who we get to know really well. We also identify any other concerns, such as safety in or outside of the home (if the older person is leaving the door unlocked for instance). We can then support the customer to address any risks, and speak with loved ones if we have a concern. This support is especially comforting for families who live or work away.
An additional reassuring feature is head office support. Liz and Nancy, our expert coordinators, are only a telephone call away, and our customers will ring us if they have a concern about something, and they know that if we can’t help, we’ll find someone trusted who can.
83% of customers feel an increase in confidence due to regular interaction with their Happy to Help Gateshead worker. (Social Value Business)
Increased confidence leads to increased happiness, well-being and positivity. The ripple effect of this is that customers feel less vulnerable and more resilient, and they begin to build a strong support and social network which adds to feelings of safety and the ability to cope.
6. Reduced Burden
We’ve mentioned this throughout our blog, but it deserves some attention.
When asked ‘What do you value most about the Happy to Help Gateshead service’, a common reply is...
“I’m no longer a burden on my son/daughter/ spouse”.
It is surprising how many older people feel anxious about adding any pressure onto their loves ones. They worry about their loved ones having lots of other commitments such as a full time job and/or a family to look after for instance.
Many of our clients enjoy the fact that their loved ones can spend quality time with them on social visits, rather than having to use the time to clean, shop or do errands instead. Home help removes a lot of the pressure, and gives back precious time.
If you or someone you know needs some support at home in Gateshead, the experts at Happy to Help Gateshead are always available to answer any questions, arrange a home visit or to help in any other way that they can. Call the team on 0191 4785919, email liz@teamwork-dt.co.uk.
If you found this blog helpful, check out some of our other articles:
As a result of having Happy to Help Gateshead's support, 90% of clients feel less isolated and more resilient. (
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Thank you to the fabulous staff team at Happy to help !
They have been supporting my Mam for many years. The office team have kept in touch throughout the covid19 lockdown with phone calls to support my mam and update us on the status. Now they are back in action and it’s great. Helpful, flexible and still very thoughtful and caring. Happy to help offer an invaluable and emotionally supportive service to the elderly and isolated in our community.
Thank you to your team and well done for your commitment to offering a fantastic service.
😄👍😄