EXPERT PALLIATIVE CARE FROM THE LIVE-IN CARE SPECIALISTS
We know through our experience of helping thousands of people who are living with a terminal diagnosis how distressing and upsetting it is for all involved. Our dedicated and sensitive carer respects that it is a very emotional time and is there to provide the compassionate care and support required not just for the person receiving care, but all the family. They can manage any symptoms effectively, whilst meeting a person’s psychological needs ensuring all their wishes and choices in life are met. We ensure your dignity and comfort is at the forefront of all we do.
Our management team provides unrivalled support to our carers so they are able to provide the high-quality end of life care at home our clients should expect, whilst offering the same level of support to family members who may require a supportive network during this time.
With our fully managed live-in care service families have reassurance at a time they need it most. Our palliative live-in home care at home is trusted by families across Oxfordshire and beyond to really make a difference to someone living receiving palliative care.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PALLIATIVE CARE AND END OF LIFE CARE?
Palliative care is a type of care which supports anyone living with a terminal illness or complex condition. It is available from first diagnosis through to end-of-life care.
End-of-life is where a Professional Live-in carer will help to provide a comfortable and dignified environment as the person in their care reaches the end of their life. End-of-life care should be holistic and provide support for psychological and spiritual needs as well as medical and physical needs. The comfortable and familiar home environment provides a sense of security. Receiving end-of-life care at home means there’s no upheaval and no disruption for your or your loved ones.
WHAT ARE YOUR PALLIATIVE CARE OPTIONS?
The options for palliative care include:
Live-in care
Live-in care provides a specially trained Professional Live-in Carer to provide support each day according to your loved ones needs. Carefully chosen based on personality and care needs, the Professional Live-in Carer will live in the home, delivering the care required.
Regular home visits
If you don’t require 24 hour live-in support, you can arrange for regular home visits. These can be scheduled at specific times of the day when you require further support during the night.
Respite care
If your current carer, whether it be a family member, friend or professional carer, requires a break, you can arrange for one of our Professional Live-in Carers to provide respite care. This way, you can ensure your care needs will continue to be met to your expected high standards, and your usual carer has peace of mind you are in safe hands.
COMMON MYTHS ABOUT PALLIATIVE CARE:
You can only receive palliative care in a hospice or care home
This is certainly not true. The most popular setting to receive palliative care is from the comfort and security of your own home. This can be provided by a Professional Live-in Carer.
Palliative care is only available once you have stopped having your condition treated
Having palliative care does not mean your loved ones’ treatment has been stopped. It is usually provided alongside ongoing medical support, to ensure your loved one continues to be comfortable.
Palliative care is only suitable if your relative is nearing the end of their life
This is not the case. Palliative care can be accessed at any time after a diagnosis and can continue for long periods of time.
THE HOME YOU LOVE IS BEST FOR PALLIATIVE CARE IN OXFORD
Many families in Oxfordshire, and throughout the country believe the only choice they have when a family member or loved one needs palliative care is that they must leave their much-loved home and move into a care home or hospice. This is just not true. The Live-in Care Hub conducted a survey in 2017 and found that 97% of people given the choice, would prefer to carry on living in their own home with the support of a carer. Live-in care is becoming better understood and popular as a real alternative to moving into a residential setting. With live-in care provided by Oxford Aunts you can be assured of a high-quality live-in care service provided by a trusted and established provider – a service that has benefitted many families for many years.
There are countless life-enriching benefits to staying at home with a highly trained and experienced carer who is dedicated to you, instead of facing the upset and worry of moving into a care or nursing home. With an Oxford Aunts carer you will be able to live life your way with a tailored plan of care delivered by a compassionate carer on a one-to-one basis – this just simply cannot be offered in a care home.
Life in a care home can be very restrictive – you will have little choice as to when you get up, when you eat your meals and when you can have visitors and socialise. It is very different with live-in care. We have been helping our clients to continue to live with freedom and choice that means they can lead a better quality of life with all the support they need.
SPECIALIST PALLIATIVE CARE PROVIDED BY TRAINED AND EXPERIENCED CARERS
Our specialist palliative care is founded on an expert approach to care delivery. All our dedicated carers are experienced in how to care for someone who requires palliative care. Our gentle and compassionate carers recognise the importance of maintaining control and choice in your life, right through to the very end-of-life.
OUR LIVE-IN PALLIATIVE CARE SERVICE
An Oxford Aunts’ experienced and dedicated carer will provide a range of live-in palliative care services in the comfort of your home including:
As an established live-in care provider in Oxford, we have built strong relationships with local healthcare professionals, including GP’s, district nurses, local Clinical Commissioning Groups and other charitable organisations and community healthcare services. This means we can provide a multidisciplinary approach to cancer care that is focused on improving health and wellbeing whilst avoiding any unnecessary hospital admissions. Working with these healthcare professionals our carers can facilitate any medical procedures at home.
If you need to attend hospital for treatment, our carer will accompany you to these visits providing support – just when you need it.
We know how important companionship is in later life. Our compassionate and respectful carer will be matched to not only meet your cancer care needs, but we look to match personalities and interests. We know this makes for a fulfilling and pleasurable way of life based on friendship and companionship. Whilst respecting your privacy, our carer is trained to support your psychological and emotional needs too.
Our carers are trained in management of medications, which is so important in supporting someone who is receiving palliative/end-of-life when pain needs to be effectively managed. They will proactively monitor and administer medications and any prescription required is ready as and when you need it.
Whilst personal care relates to undertaking the day-to-day tasks of caring, including washing, bathing and getting dressed and undressed, it also considers a person’s confidence and self-esteem. There is nothing better than having freshly painted nails, or your hair styled how you like it – our carers will make sure you feel your best every day.
Oxford Aunts carers have a strong understanding of falls prevention and how conditions can impact on mobility. In conjunction with our experienced Care Assessors, and liaison with multidisciplinary teams, such as Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists, we can provide you with advice on the equipment required for you to remain safe and as independent as possible at home.
Your live-in carer will carefully plan all your meals and will shop for the groceries as needed. They will then cook healthy, nutritious and enjoyable food, taking into account your likes and dislikes. Many of our clients and carers enjoy cooking together as a shared pastime. Unlike a care home, you will be able to eat as and when you like.
At Oxford Aunts we know how important it is that you keep connected to your local community – whether it is a local community group you have attended for years, a stroll around a much-loved shop or sitting peacefully in a local park – our committed carers will facilitate your enjoyment outside of the home and support you to do as much as you wish.
Our carer will make sure your home is clean, tidy and well-kept to the standards you should expect. Everything from dusting, cleaning, vacuuming, washing and ironing to light garden work – our carer will ensure your home is looking its very best every day.
We know how important a much-loved pet is and how difficult caring for it may be when faced with other health concerns that are impacting day-to-day life. With an Oxford Aunts carer you can be assured that your pet will be well cared for, whilst you continue to get the benefits and enjoyment from your beloved pet, as you always have.
HOW TO ARRANGE END OF LIFE CARE NEAR ME?
It’s impossible to predict how long end of life care will last and your loved one’s condition can dramatically change by the month, day and hour.
Our Professional Live-in Carers can provide respite care or around-the-clock live-in care to suit the level of care needed throughout.
Our multidisciplinary team approach will ensure your loved one’s requirements are met at every stage. Your Professional Live-in Carer will be able to keep you informed of any changes to your loved-ones health, and will ensure the best standard of care is delivered.
WHY CHOOSE OXFORD AUNTS FOR SPECIALIST PALLIATIVE CARE?
Oxford Aunts provide end of life care near you. At the heart of our palliative care is enabling people to live well in their own home with the care and support they need from a carefully well-matched, trained and dedicated carer. With an Oxford Aunts carer you can be reassured that you are receiving high-quality palliative/end-of-life care and family members get all the support they need during what we know can be a difficult and worrying time.
Expert carer matching
Over the past 50 years we have established a reputation for matching carers with our clients to ensure they meet all their needs – this is not just about matching skills, but making sure backgrounds and personalities are aligned so both client and carer can enjoy life together. On the odd occasion we do not get the match right we respond efficiently to find another carer whilst minimising any disruption to the service. Depending on the level of palliative care required, it will determine not just the cost of your care, but the experience we expect your carer to have to ensure the high standards of care we are renowned for throughout Oxfordshire and beyond.
Continuity of care makes all the difference
Our carers will come and live with you to provide care and support for a longer period than might be offered by other live-in care providers. We know that this gives an opportunity for a strong relationship to be formed and a deeper understanding of our clients’ palliative care needs offering consistency and continuity of care.
Expertly trained carers
Our market leading carer training has been created with leading experts and goes well beyond the mandatory requirements. This equips our carers to support those living with cancer, which requires more monitoring, care and support. Our carers never stop learning new skills that ensure they continue to deliver the highest standards of palliative care.
A fully managed and regulated PALLIATIVE CARE service
Our fully managed and regulated palliative care service means our carers are employed and managed by us whilst they are caring for you. They are supported by a care management team made up of care experts who ensure they are supervised and supported to provide the high standards of care. If you use an introduction agency you will be left to manage the carer, pay them and organise holiday cover once you are introduced to them and they start to care for you.
For the many families that Oxford Aunts supports, we know this provides lots of reassurance whilst removing the burden of having to carefully manage the care arrangement for their family member or loved one.
Rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC)
We are proud to have been rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in all five measures – safe, caring, effective, responsive and well-led. We know this provides families with peace of mind that their loved one is receiving the best possible care.
Unrivalled support near you
We operate throughout Oxfordshire and its surrounding counties. Each regional team is made up of a dedicated Care Assessor local to you who is on hand to provide unrivalled levels of support to you, your family and our carer. They are supported by a Care Manager at our central office who handles all other aspects of care delivery to ensure a quality service is delivered, every time.
OUR HIGH-QUALITY PALLIATIVE / END-OF-LIFE CARE SERVICE INCLUDES:
- A comprehensive assessment of your needs – our assessment will address not just your care needs but how you wish to live your life
- Careful matching of an experienced and dedicated carer who will meet all your needs
- A highly tailored care plan created using a multidisciplinary approach in consultation with other healthcare professionals and community organisations involved in your care, as well as where appropriate your family members or loved ones
- Unrivalled support from a team of two care managements experts local to you
- Domestic and household tasks
- Cooking, meal planning, shopping and preparation
- 24-hours a day out-of-hours emergency support should you need it
GET IN TOUCH WITH US ABOUT YOUR PALLIATIVE CARE NEEDS
Our expert care advisors are here to help you understand the options available to you.
Socialisation is key to health and happiness
With isolation a concern as we get older, our proactive carers will facilitate you having visitors as and when you wish. Whether it is a catch up with friends, or a family occasion or celebration our carer will meet all your socialisation needs so you can enjoy life at home.