National Carers Week 2023

5 tips on finding the right homecare provider

Celebrating National Carers Week 2023 at Myhomecare

Carers Week is dedicated to recognizing and supporting the incredible work performed by carers. This year, National Carers Week has joined forces with The Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland, Acquired Brain Injury Ireland, Care Alliance Ireland, Disability Federation of Ireland, Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Ireland, CRC (Central Remedial Clinic), Irish Cancer Society, The Irish Hospice Foundation, MS Ireland, St. Michael’s House, Jack and Jill, and We Love To Talk.

The theme for this year is #MakingCaringVisible, and in celebration of this, Myhomecare has chosen to put the spotlight on some of our exceptional carers, showcasing their dedication and commitment to making a difference in the lives of those they care for.

Join Our Award-Winning Homecare Team Today

If you would like to join our award-winning homecare team or start your carer in caring contact us today!

Maria Haydee

Carers Name: María Haydeé Fernández Hernández
Location: Dublin South

How long have you worked as a Carer?
I started working as a Carer in November 2020, but I’m a health carer worker since 2017.

Why did you choose caring as a profession?
I consider myself a compassionate person and I like making a positive difference in people lives.

How long have you been a member of the Myhomecare Team?
I started working with Myhomecare in July 2022.

What do you enjoy most about being a Carer?
I enjoy being an active member in the community where I live, helping people and making a positive impact in their lives.

Do you have any advice for someone who would like a career in care?
Be passionate about what you do, have empathy for people and always do good because good will come back to you.

Nazrul Islam Kazi

Carers Name: Nazrul Islam Kazi
Location: Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford

How long have you worked as a Carer?
I have been working as a carer for over 10 years.

Why did you choose caring as a profession?
Working in the care sector is an incredibly rewarding job, so it’s no wonder that it is one of the most commonly spoken about reasons to be a carer. Everyday you will be making a difference to someone’s quality of life, supporting them to remain living in their own home, independently.

How long have you been a member of the Myhomecare Team?
I have been working for Myhomecare for nearly 5 years now.

What do you enjoy most about being a Carer?
My favourite aspect of being a carer is making a difference in other people’s lives. I know what I do helps them to stay living independently in their own homes. My clients love to see me walking in the door. Caring for other people makes me feel valued.

Do you have any advice for someone who would like a career in care?
My best advice for those who want a career in care is, you will need to have a passion for helping others. As such, it is important to have a compassionate and empathic personality. Patience is also key, and it’s important to try to put yourself in the client’s shoes. It helps to have a cheerful, outgoing, and friendly personality and good listening skills. As a care assistant, you will have a responsibility to maintain the dignity of your patients. As such, discretion and professionalism are crucial qualities. Reliability, honesty and punctuality are also important traits.

Jane Achums

Carers Name: Jane Achums
Location: Dublin North East

Click on the video below to hear Jane’s story

Greg Little

Carers Name: Greg Little
Location: Limerick

Click on the video below to hear Greg’s story

John Kelly

Carers Name: John Kelly
Location: West of Ireland

How long have you worked as a Carer?
I have worked as a carer for four and a half years.

Why did you choose caring as a profession?
I chose caring as a profession to contribute to my community in a positive way. I was also very interested in health care.

How long have you been a member of the Myhomecare Team?
I am working with Myhomecare since December of 2022.

What do you enjoy most about being a Carer?
I enjoy helping vulnerable people in a positive way.

Do you have any advice for someone who would like a career in care?
It’s important to be yourself and always remember that many of the things we do is common sense. Another good tip is to communicate regularly with your booking coordinator.

Home & Community Care Ireland

Home & Community Care Ireland

Myhomecare is part of the Home & Community Care Ireland organisation. But what is it?


About HCCI

HCCI is the national membership organisation for companies that provide a managed home care service in Ireland.  HCCI unites members who directly care for thousands of older and vulnerable people in their homes.  HCCI members provide a fully managed care service through directly employed and trained care staff, which guarantees an exceptional standard of care to every client.

Their Mission

HCCI advocates for, and seeks to represent, a unified professional home care service through leadership, experience and good governance.


Myhomecare’s Certificate of Membership:

View Here

Falls Prevention in the Home

Falls Prevention in the Home


Falls Risk

A falls risk factor is something that increases an older person’s chance of falling. Falls commonly result from a combination of risk factors as the risk of falling increases with the number of risk factors that are present. The number of risk factors also increases as a person ages.

Each service user will be individually assessed to determine their falls risk. The goal of this approach is to optimise and standardise assessment and intervention so as to reduce falls in older people living in the community setting.

Risks can be classified as;

  • Intrinsic (e.g. muscle weakness)
  • Extrinsic (e.g. medication)
  • Environmental (e.g. home hazard)

8 Ways to Reduce Fall Risks

Falls can put older people at risk of serious injury including fractures, cuts, bruises and even serious brain injuries so it is therefore vitally important to reduce the risk of falls in the home.

Even if there is no serious injury as a result of a fall, it can still be a frightening experience and may cause an older person to avoid certain activities due to the fear of falling again. As you get older, health conditions, physical changes and sometimes medication can make falls more likely to occur.

Use of Assistive Devices

Using any safety devices provided may greatly reduce the risk of falls;

  • Handrails and Grab Bars: Installing grab bars and handrails can be beneficial for going up and down the stairs, getting on and off the toilet and stepping out of the bathtub/shower.
  • A raised toilet seat: This can make it much easier for someone with poor mobility to get on and off the toilet. A seat with arm rests can be very helpful.
  • A sturdy plastic chair or stool for the shower or bathtub and a handheld shower nozzle for bathing while sitting down. Non slip mats can be helpful in shower or bathtub
  • Non slip treads for bare wood steps and nonslip mats on floors which may become slippy or wet such as porches.

Mobility – Keep Moving

Physical activity can assist greatly with preventing falls. Regular physical activity makes you stronger and improves your balance and coordination.

Most adults over 65 should try to keep active if possible. There are activities suitable for people with chronic illnesses such as heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis or diabetes. Activities can improve flexibility greatly, if you avoid physical activity as you are afraid of the risk of falling talk to your doctor or physiotherapist who will recommend a carefully monitored exercise programme.

  • Begin slowly with exercise you feel comfortable doing.
  • Start with walking and increase the distance gradually.

Medication Review

Ask your doctor to review your medication each year as certain medications or various medications combined can cause you to feel faint or lightheaded which could cause falls. Your doctor can review your medications for side effects and interactions that may increase your risk of falling.

Clothing and Footwear

Baggy clothes can sometime cause you to fall, opt for better-fitting clothes that do not drag on the ground. Socks can cause slips so if only wearing socks wear non-slip socks with grips or comfortable fitted shoes with rubber soles.

Visibility

Your eyesight may change as you get older and therefore can increase your chances of falling so it is important to get your eyesight check on a regular basis.

Remove Hazards

Sometimes home fixtures can contribute to falls. Examine every room and look for items such as loose carpet, rugs with frayed corners, remove all clutter.

Repair loose, wooden floorboards and carpeting right away. The easiest method for preventing falls is to keep your home neat and tidy. Remove wires and cables from any areas where they could pose a trip hazard.

Lighting

Inadequate lighting can be a major hazard so use brighter bulbs where needed, particularly in hallways and near stairs

  • Place night lights in bedrooms, bathroom and hallways.
  • Place a lamp within reach of your bed in case you need to get out of bed during the night.
  • Make clear paths to light switches and turn on lights before going downstairs.
  • Have flashlights easily accessible in case of power outages.

Spillages

  • Clean up any floor spillages immediately and never use floor wax.

Medication Storage

Medication should be kept in a cool dry place and in one location. They should be kept safely away from children, pets and anyone who is mentally unstable. Putting a simple system in place and taking care of the basics helps older people to avoid common medication mistakes like taking the wrong drug, missing doses, or taking more than prescribed.

For medication that requires specific storage, like refrigeration, follow doctor or pharmacist’s
instructions. Create and maintain an up to date medication list and record names, dosage, what each item is for and whether it is short or long term. Pre-sort medication for the week and use blister packs if possible, to avoid confusion. Understand likely side effects as common side effects could increase fall risk and discuss if doctor if this happens.

Read more of our blog

Professional Homecare Bill 2020

Professional Homecare Bill 2020

Myhomecare.ie have welcomed the recently announced Professional Home Care Bill 2020, amendments to the Health Act 2007. This new legislation is designed to provide regulation in the area of professional home care.

Amendments were introduced in the areas of assessment of needs & care planning, complaints procedures, standards of care, protection from abuse and training of personnel. Myhomecare are proud to have already demonstrated an understanding and focus in these areas.

These amendments regard the following general principles as they apply to adults:

· The principal of independent living

· The principal of privacy & dignity

· The principal of quality of care

· The principal of protection of the adult

Myhomecare.ie’s assessment of care needs have included companionship and advanced care planning as standard practice across all of our services for many years. We have also developed and introduced an extensive patient safety programme in 2019. Through this programme we continue to monitor and collect data in the areas of medication management, fall risks and infection control.

ISO9001 accreditation – Quality Management System

Myhomecare successfully maintained ISO9001 accreditation again for 2020 and continue year on year to strive for this very respected achievement. Our care standards are of the highest quality and our mission is to always put our clients and carers needs and feedback first. All of the business operations are audited externally every year to ensure that we are compliant with our quality management system. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, virtually zero paperwork was used which was another huge achievement for Myhomecare as the audit usually takes place onsite, with all policies, processes and documentation printed out in advance.

JCI Gold Seal accreditation

We have also secured the JCI Gold Seal accreditation for 2020. This reaffirms we are operating a quality service with a core focus on client safety and our dedication to clients and their families. With the JCI award, we are now one of an exclusive group of 24 homecare companies globally who have attained the required standard and the only one in Ireland in our sector.

We now work alongside the JCI team to sustain their standards while continuing to strive for improvement in delivery for all clients receiving care in line with the accreditation’s credo. Paula Wilson, President and CEO of JCI, commended Myhomecare for the dedication to improving services and praised the resilience of everyone involved for persevering during a global pandemic: “JCI commends Myhomecare for its efforts to become a quality improvement organisation and achieving international accreditation which highlights their commitment to patient safety“.

A safer, better homecare

Circumstances this year with the onset of Covid-19 has helped change our business model to a more online presence. Implementing the best technology solutions available and ensuring quality of service are fundamental to us as we try to emerge from the covid crisis even stronger than before.

Our Client Portal is accessible via our website myhomecare.ie and provides access to several different resources, which includes our feedback form. We also provide our clients with an Education Pack which has information on a range of different topics from Nutrition, Diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Fire Safety etc.

Our dedicated recruiters and compliance officer ensure that all our care personnel are up to date with necessary training requirements and we ensure this is possible with continuous support from our own Servisource Training division.

The Myhomecare team continue to lead the way in Ireland in delivering a superior quality service by ensuring our standards are in line with the new government regulations. Myhomecare utilise lean methodologies ensuring we are continuously improving our services. Our quality management system allows us to regularly review and maintain our policies and procedures, enabling us to work in unison to a high standard.

Homecare is not just confined to older people. It includes those who develop a chronic illness, those who have a physical or mental disability or those who are recovering at home after surgery or an illness. Myhomecare.ie deliver the highest quality of safe person centred care, meeting each service user’s individual needs using a holistic approach in accordance with the National Standards of Safer, Better Healthcare and Homecare.