Homecare services in Dartford & Gravesham: a case study to highlight the benefits for individuals with learning disabilities

This case study highlights the importance of homecare support for one of our customers with learning disabilities and other complex care needs, who we have been supporting for a number of years. Caremark offers homecare services in Dartford & Gravesham where this customer is based.

CLIENT PROFILE

• Name: John (pseudonym used for privacy)
• Year of Birth: 1973
• Age: 51
• Support Needs: Complex medical conditions, learning disabilities, stroke survivor, weak kidney function, and lifestyle support needs

BACKGROUND

When John first joined Caremark’s service, he was living with his grandmother, who took on most of his daily care. While safe and loved, this environment meant John wasn’t developing the skills to live more independently. He faced several challenges, including:

• Poor personal hygiene habits
• Excessive eating and unhealthy food choices
• Little understanding of fluid intake and nutrition for his kidney condition
• Limited physical activity
• Lack of involvement in domestic or everyday tasks
• Difficulty understanding instructions due to learning disabilities
• High dependence on others for basic routines

John’s family and social worker then looked for homecare services in Dartford & Gravesham. Caremark developed a highly individualised support plan that focused on empowerment, education, and long-term relationship building.

OUR APPROACH

There are a number of key areas where Caremark support John:

1. Nutrition & Health Management- given his medical history, supporting John with nutrition and hydration has been extremely important. We support by helping to create food shopping lists and taking him out to do the food shop. We assist with meal preparation, encouraging active participation from John, whilst adhering to dietary restrictions, managing control and encouraging healthy eating habits. We monitor daily fluid intake, explaining its importance for kidney health. We also support John by encouraging 15 minute daily physical exercise. 
2. Clear, Patient Communication- It is important that we use simple, clear and direct language tailored to John’s level of understanding. We are patient with John and allow extra time for processing as he can become overwhelmed if he feels pressured. Click here for more information on communicating effectively with individuals with a learning disability.
3. Building Personal Independence- Increasing independence by supporting John’s education around personal hygiene. We developed daily routines for grooming and self-care and over the years we have supported John, we have limited our involvement to prompting with gentle reminders where needed.
4. Domestic Skills & Home Tasks- Another area where we have tried to encourage independence is with domestic tasks. Whilst our care assistants can complete the tasks, we have encouraged John to participate with cleaning and hoovering, helping him to maintain a clean and safe environment for himself. We also take him to the laundrette where we support him to do his own laundry.
5. Social & Emotional Support- Companionship is another key element of the support we provide which includes regular visits to a local centre for social engagement and mental stimulation. John has regular care assistants that he has developed a bond with. We make time to have a conversation and play games including board games and video games. We encourage John to make decisions, gradually building his confidence through small wins. 

There are a number of ways that homecare services can benefit an individual.

PROGRESS AND OUTCOMES

Since the start of our care partnership with John in January 2020, John has shown significant and sustained improvement in multiple areas:

1. Improved hygiene and grooming habits with far greater independence
2. Reduced binge eating and better understanding of healthy food choices
3. Increased water intake, especially through visual cues like water bottles
4. More physical activity—15 minutes of physical activity is now part of his routine
5. Greater independence in domestic life, like going to the laundrette and shopping
6. Higher confidence and self-worth, especially through social outings and conversations
7. More control over his life—he now makes choices rather than waiting for others to act

Client Feedback

“John feels proud of the things he can do now—he tells us what he’s cooked or that he remembered to go for his walk. It’s a huge shift from when we first met him.”
– Care Support Worker

Caremark offers a range of homecare services across Dartford & Gravesham, and this is an example of just one of the customers we have supported. We also offer homecare services in Medway, for more information please click here.