Staying connected with clients and their families during lockdown
During lockdown, we’ve been doing everything we can at HRM Homecare to keep our clients and their friends and family connected.
I have always taken great pride in our compassion, support, and ability at HRM Homecare to build close relationships with the people we care for. Key to this is my fantastic Wellness Team. I set up the Wellness Team more than 10 years ago in order to help deepen the bond of trust with those who need our support and also their families.
For me, my objective for the team was clear: To be central to our operations, so HRM Homecare is a truly people-centred organisation dedicated to care planning. For years they have achieved that, putting the needs of clients first, and working with them and their families to implement packages of care based on their ongoing requirements. Our clients’ needs are at the heart of everything the team do along with making sure their loved ones are fully informed and on board with what is being delivered.
During this ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Wellness Team have really come into their own. Thanks to the rapport they have built up, they are pivotal in helping clients who are, due to lockdown, unable to have face-to-face visits from family and friends.
It has been more important than ever that the team pick up on any change, no matter how small, in the needs of service users, so that additional support is arranged and implemented.
This has not been easy, as lockdown and shielding has brought new challenges in conducting reviews. So, we have introduced an app called Near Me, and it is a wonderful piece of technology.
Near Me allows our Wellness Team to act as a link between our clients and their families by speaking with them remotely. Through Near Me, they can conduct a review or simply use it as a means of communication, so families are able to keep up to date with their loved ones’ care, face to face but virtually.
Families can request a call which allows them to speak with the member of the team attending their family members care, and speak with them via a video call on the app. To use it, all that’s needed is a smartphone, tablet or computer with a webcam – and we can help get them set up.
Near Me is also used by the NHS for remote appointments. This means service users can speak to nurses, doctors, or whoever they need to see from the health service, from their home without travelling. And Near Me helps make our review processes more efficient and streamlined. Indeed, many family members – especially those who live a distance away from their loved ones – have quickly taken to using it, with plenty of positive feedback.
I have worked in the care sector for more than 25 years, and if anything good comes out of this pandemic it is how new technology like Near Me is a driving force behind the ever-improving high-quality care at home offered by HRM Homecare.
However, the pandemic has not stopped HRM Homecare from providing in-person support, particularly among those suffering from loneliness during lockdown. We provide a companionship service for those who need it, to ensure they continue to have that rapport with another person that during COVID-19 can be so vital.
At HRM Homecare, we will continue to combine the latest technology with the tremendous hard work and empathy of our staff – including the fabulous Wellness Team and our Support Workers to continue to help our clients live well in their own homes during this challenging time.