Why live-in care is an important option for rural communities
If you live in a rural community, you may begin to worry what will happen as you get older. How will you access any medical care you might need? Would you be able to get emergency treatment in a timely fashion? And would you have to stay elsewhere?
For people who have grown up in, or lived in, a close-knit rural community for years, the idea of having to leave can be hard to bear. But when it comes to arranging care, what are the options? A care home would likely mean moving into a nearby town or city, while there’s little chance a domiciliary care worker would be able to drive all the way out to you and return before their next appointment. The traditional care models just don’t add up.
Luckily there is another option for rural families: live-in care in your own home can fulfil a key role for care within remote communities. Let’s look at why this is such an important and valuable option for those living – and wanting to continue living – in small rural communities.
No need to move out of the rural community you love
If you have friends and family nearby, you’ll be used to them being able to pop in whenever they like. And there are other familiar things you’d miss if you moved too – from the rolling hills or green fields to passing herds of cows or sheep. No wonder you don’t like the idea of moving to a nursing home in a busy, built up area and leaving behind all you love. Thankfully, live-in care means you don’t have to.
The peace of mind of 24/7 care
With a live-in carer you can be sure that whatever happens, whenever it happens, there will be someone there to offer a vital source of care. And if they need additional support, they will have access to a dedicated emergency line to get advice from their superiors. At Promedica24, this includes professionally trained care managers on hand in the local area.
Emergency response
If it comes to it, and an ambulance is required, the response rate might be slow if you’re not near a hospital. Our carers are trained in first aid. They’ll make the 999 call and follow any medical advice given. Then they’ll stay with you, help you to remain calm and provide a handover to the paramedics when they arrive.
The importance of home comforts
When you’ve lived in a house and an area you’ve loved for years, you’ll have developed quite a collection of possessions that help you feel safe and comfortable. So to remain surrounded by them and able to see them every day is of huge comfort, especially if you’re dealing with an illness or living with dementia.
Keeping up with routines
Whether it’s pottering in the garden, feeding the birds or attending the weekly Bingo at the community centre, the routines and habits you build up when you live in a rural community will be different to those you would have available if you moved to a city. With a live-in carer you’ll be able to keep doing the things you love for longer.
Convenience and getting around
As you get older, getting around can become more difficult, which might limit access to services you need. Perhaps you no longer feel safe driving on increasingly busy roads. Or your driving licence has been revoked for medical reasons.
Either way, a live-in carer can help. As long as your carer has their driver’s licence, they’ll be able to help you get to where you need to go, take you shopping to the supermarket, run errands and deliver you to appointments with health care providers. All of which might become tricky were you to live alone in the countryside.
Reducing the risk of social isolation
By their nature, rural populations are smaller; villages will be less busy than their urban counterparts. So it stands to reason that there will be fewer people around at any given time.
At Promedica24 we offer what’s called companion care. That is someone who can keep you company, eat with you and even watch TV or play cards with you in the evening. A companion carer can help to look after your mental health by ensuring you don’t get lonely during long periods when you might not see anyone else.
Did you know?
Promedica24 is planning to expand its provision of care into more rural areas, such as The Lake District and The New Forest. That’s because we understand that the unique benefits of live-in care are perfectly suited to people living in a rural context.
If you’d like to know more about our health and social care services and find out whether they might suit your needs, get in contact with us today.
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