How to Guarantee You Receive the Best Care: 6 Tips for Home Care Clients

When you're thinking about using home care services, it’s helpful to understand exactly what you can expect from your carers if you want the best care possible.

If you’re not sure whether home care is right for you, ask yourself:

• Are you struggling to cope with daily tasks?
• Do you want to live at home rather than move into a care home?
• Can you still move around your home and is it safe to live in?

In the UK, home carers and homecare agencies are regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and have clearly defined responsibilities designed to keep you comfortable, safe and well-cared for.

In this blog, we share some useful tips on how you can get the best home care for your unique needs.

1. Understanding Carers Roles and Responsibilities

A carer can visit you at home and help out with all kinds of duties like:

• Personal care, such as brushing your hair, washing and dressing.
• Helping you get around safely.
• Keeping track of your medication.
• Offering emotional support and friendship.

Your carer will work closely with you and always aim to meet your needs with kindness, patience and respect.

To make sure your homecare experience is a positive one, it’s important to:

• Communicate openly and honestly with your carers.
• Play an active role in decisions about your care.
• Build strong relationships with your carers and the homecare agency.

Understanding these responsibilities and clearly communicating your own needs and preferences can significantly improve the quality and effectiveness of your care.

2. Why Person-Centred Care Matters

Person-centred care is all about making sure your care plan matches your unique personality, values, needs and preferences.

Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, this puts you at the heart of your care, allowing you to be involved in every decision.

With a person-centred care approach, you will:

• Feel respected as an individual.
• Have a more enjoyable and empowering care experience.
• Get actively involved in shaping your care plan.

Effective care planning software can help to make this process easier by clearly noting your preferences, medical requirements, daily habits and routines.

“Since we started working together, TagCare has made us much more responsive to our clients’ needs – everything’s instant and transfers straight from the system to the app on our carers’ phones. You get all the information you need, straight away” – Lisa, Birchwood Homecaring Services

Modern domiciliary care management software, (like the dedicated solution provided by TagCare), helps carers to deliver personalised, reliable and manageable care, and keeps your care plan flexible and responsive.

3. Key Things to Look for in Quality Home Care

Quality home care extends far beyond helping with basic physical tasks; it embraces a holistic approach covering physical, emotional and social well-being.

Top-quality home care should include:

• Mobility support tailored specifically to your abilities and comfort levels.
• Effective medication management to keep your health on track with safe, accurate and timely administration.
• Emotional support, recognising mental health and companionship as critical elements for wellness.
• Pain management strategies proactively addressing any discomfort to maintain a better quality of life at home.

Your carers should regularly check in to manage all of these areas. Adjustments to your care plan will then be based on your feedback, evolving needs and any changes to your health.

4. Making the Most of Technology in Home Care

As leading providers of homecare software solutions for over 25 years, TagCare know first-hand the impact technology increasingly has on homecare, supporting care teams to deliver care more accurately, efficiently and responsively.

Home care software solutions help carers spend less time on paperwork and more time caring for you by simplifying things like:

• Record-keeping.
• Organising schedules.
• Updating care plans.

Domiciliary care management software easily maintains:

• Accurate documentation.
• Smooth and seamless coordination among care teams.
• Clear and consistent accurate communication between your carers.

“The TagCare system is tailor made for the care sector. It’s not just another off-the shelf product that’s adapted to fit” – Rory, Cosgrove Care

Care planning software guarantees your personal care plans reflect real-time changes, continuously adapting to any ongoing needs. Embracing technology keeps your care precise, reliable and tailored specifically to you.

5. Building Strong Relationships with Your Carer

Having a strong relationship with your carer can make a huge difference to your overall care experience.

Here’s how you can build stronger, more trusting relationships:

• Talk openly and clearly about what you need with regular check-ins.
• Bring up any immediate concerns or questions – addressing these promptly and directly will avoid small problems turning into bigger conflicts and resolve misunderstandings quickly and effectively.
• Mutual respect and understanding – respecting each other’s space and boundaries, maintaining a respectful and professional relationship, showing appreciation and gratitude.
• Share your daily routines and preferences freely – for example, medication management, emotional support, special care routines for chronic conditions.
• Enjoy engaging in friendly conversations – create a collaborative approach to your care working with your carers and homecare agency to encourage companionship and social interaction.

A mutually respectful relationship with your carer is key. Carers appreciate knowing exactly what you need and good emotional support helps everyone feel more comfortable and connected.

Emotional support is a vital part of your carers' responsibilities, enhancing your overall home care experience.

6. Stay Involved and Keep Informed

Being actively involved in your home care is crucial to make sure you always receive the very best support.

Regularly take the time to:

• Review your care services.
• Give feedback to your carers.
• Discuss potential changes or improvements.
• Stay informed on best practices in home care.

Talk openly with your carers about:

• How they provide person-centred care.
• Mobility support options.
• Medication management techniques.
• Pain management approaches.

By staying informed and involved with your own care, you’ll feel more confident your care plan consistently meets your expectations and requirements.

More advice and information on homecare can be found on these websites: Age UK - Advice and Support for Older People and NHS - Social Care and Support Guide.