A Practical Guide for Families

As loved one’s grow older or face long-term health challenges, families can often find themselves gradually taking on more responsibilities. These changes may begin small, such as help with transportation or food shopping. However, over time, this help may become more complex and frequent, with support needed daily. Managing these increasing care needs can feel overwhelming to begin with. With planning, communication, and support, families can navigate the process more confidently from the offset.

In many cases, families will find it helpful to involve professional support services such as Caremark. Here at Caremark Ashford and Shepway, we can help bridge the gap between occasional family support and more consistent daily care, allowing individuals to maintain independence while ensuring their needs are safely met. As a domiciliary care company, your loved ones can remain in their own home, whilst receiving the highest quality of care, always looking out for their best interests.

Recognising the Signs of Increasing Care Needs

It can be hard at first to recognise new, evolving care needs, where extra support is required. The changes can be so subtle that they can go unnoticed, but it’s important to follow your instinct. If you notice any changes, no matter how small, it may indicate extra help is necessary. A once independent family member may begin forgetting appointments. They may struggle to carry out basic household tasks, or become less socially active.

Other signs may include:

• Difficulty managing medications
• Increased risk of falls or mobility issues
• Weight loss or poor nutrition
• Neglected household maintenance
• Memory loss or confusion
• Withdrawal from social activities

Being able to spot these signs as soon as possible enables families ample time to plan and put support in place, before it becomes an urgent and rushed matter.

Tip: Keep a diary of any changes you observe – this will help care professionals understand your loved one’s evolving needs.

Once care has started with Caremark Ashford and Shepway, our carers will help look out for these signs. The Care Manager can review and adjust the care plan as required. This will be a conversation with all involved to ensure everyone is content with the suggested changes.

Starting the Conversation with Changing Care Needs

It’s important to recognise that discussing new or increasing care needs can be a difficult task to approach. It’s a sensitive topic that can end up creating a feeling of pressure and stress upon families. But it is necessary to have these harder conversations to ensure you are keeping your loved ones safe. Many people experiencing increased care needs worry about not only losing their independence but also the feeling of becoming a burden to their family. So going into the situation with empathy and respect will help make the process less difficult.
Our team at Caremark Ashford and Shepway appreciate the complexities of this process. From the very beginning of your journey with Caremark Ashford and Shepway, we are always here to give advice on how to approach the conversation.

Tips for constructive discussions:

• Choose a calm and private setting
• Focus on safety and wellbeing rather than limitations
• Listen carefully to their wishes and concerns
• Where you can, work together to create a plan that respects both the individuals wishes yet ensures they will receive the support they need

Assessing Current and Future Needs

Care needs will evolve over time. It’s not only is it helpful to consider the immediate requirements, it’s wise to also consider possible future changes.

Here at Caremark Ashford and Shepway, we conduct detailed initial assessments to ensure that all care needs are met from the very beginning. But the assessments do not stop there. Throughout anyone’s time with Caremark, should needs increase or change in some way, reviews will be conducted which enables our carers to offer the best personalised support possible to support your loved one as they will have an up-to-date care plan.

Thinking about future needs can be daunting. Nobody wants to think of their loved one needing more care put in place someday, Caremark aims to make this a seamless process by holding customer communication in the highest regard. Should a family member have queries or concerns, Caremark will address these straight away.

Supporting Emotional and Mental Wellbeing

When a family members care needs evolve it can be a stressful transition for everyone involved. Getting a loved one more support shouldn’t just address their physical health, keep in mind that mental health is just as important.

Encourage Independence– even though you may be having to increase the support in place for a family member, allowing even the slightest amount of independence will help them feel valued and in control. It’s easy to lose sight of how meaningful someone’s independence can be, and the impact it has on mental health.

Finding support for yourself- Supporting a family member can be emotionally demanding, seeking out support groups or professional advice through trusted sources like the NHS carers support page is a good place to start.

Building a Relationship with the Care Team

As previously mentioned, Caremark Ashford and Shepway views communication as the key to a successful care journey. So, getting to know your loved one’s care team is a great place to start, having open conversations and not being afraid to speak up if you think something isn’t working, or you have any general updates will make a significant difference.

Managing a family member’s increasing care needs is rarely a straightforward process, you can help to make it easier by communicating openly and seeking any advice when needed. Our team at Caremark Ashford and Shepway will always offer a listening ear and be there to help you navigate through this difficult time.

Caremark offer a vast range of care services, so no matter your needs, we are here to help. Please do contact us to find out more information or arrange an assessment as needed.