24 hour Live in Care Services
You will be pleasantly surprised by the cost
of our 24 Hour Live In Care Service, CALL TODAY
01768 216003
24 Hour
Live in Care services are a real alternative to care
homes"
How to Contact Us
Tel 01228 594153 ( Carlisle)
London 0203 770 9907
Edinburgh 0131 285 4700
Wales 0799 270 9354
Email: admin@gchc.co.uk
Penrith "Care Shop" Now Open! Meet the 24 hour live in care team
"Thanks to the Good Companions and the wonderful live in Carers, my mother has been able to remain in her own home and enjoy a very good quality of life – thank you all!
· Thank you very much for the superb care you provided for my mother. It meant that her last two years gave her a quality of life she would not otherwise have had.
· Many thanks for your wonderful efforts to provide this lady in her particular circumstances with carers who match her perfectly and who are really improving her quality of life - You can Quote that!
· Just wanted to say that our family are extremely grateful for the careful matching of the carers you have placed with mum. It has been invaluable in giving us peace of mind to know that she is so well cared for and we could not have asked for more.
We are currently with Helping Hands, but are not satisfied with their service. The Good Companions have been very professional throughout and we are very happy to be moving to them. We have been paying £1075 per week and being with The Good Companions we will save thousands.”
How to Contact us:
Good Companions Care
Tel 01228 594153 ( Carlisle),
London 0203 770 9907
Edinburgh 0131 285 4700
Penrith 01768 216003
Good Companions, Who are we?
We are a well-established national provider of quality 24 hour live in care delivered by our carers in your own home.
Our live in care service is a real alternative to care homes and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the cost.
We aim to provide a service which is flexible, personal, and very much individualised for the person in receipt of our service.
Our aim is to empower people to live as independently as possible
in their own home.
Good Companions carers
Our carers are carefully selected. They are hard-working, caring and compassionate, extremely conscientious and have a wealth of experience.
The carers are not employees of the Good Companions, but are self employed. To ensure the safeguarding of vulnerable adults and also to protect our customers from abuse or neglect, we ensure careful checks are carried out. We check every carer against an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Disclosure (DBS). This is a list that would identify people who would be unsuitable to work with vulnerable adults. Our local managers/ partners are also there to offer support and guidance
to our service users and our Good Companions carers.
Training that is available for our Good Companions carers.
All of our self employed carers are registered for the following training. There are seventeen modules that have been hand-picked by our senior health care managers to provide the best possible training, which in turn delivers the highest quality 24 hour live in care.
The seventeen modules :
• Basic Emergency
First Aid
• Care & Administration
of Medication
• Communication
• COSHH
• Dementia
• Diabetes
• Diet & Nutrition
• Equality, Diversity
& Inclusion
• Fire Safety
• Food Hygiene
• Health & Safety
• Infection Control
• Mental Capacity Act
(DoLS)
• Mental Health Matters
• Pressure Care
• Record Keeping
• Safeguarding adults
What to expect at the start of an assignment
We will organise the carers arrival to your home, it may be that the carer will travel to the assignment by train, or if agreed by their car. The Good Companions takes great care to ensure that we do not bring carers from one end of the country to the other, as travel costs
incurred are payable by the customer.
Mileage can be checked on the internet at www.aa.com If the carer’s car is used for transport, or the customer’s car is used by the carer, insurance cover should be in place.
Break times
We recommend this is on a daily basis for two hours,
and normally away from the customer’s home. On
arrival and departure day no breaks are expected.
We understand that this is not always possible, and it
should be agreed with the customer and their families before
hand. Relief carers or family members could cover this
two hour period.
Levels of Care
We will assist you in choosing one of our quality live in carers. This can be done at relatively short notice. Assignments can be of a very short duration, i.e. convalescence care, respite care (to cover holiday periods), or for longer term care.
In certain areas we can also offer local domiciliary care.
From our experience, customers needs have greatly increased across all levels of care. We now offer a quality one level person centred 24 hour live in care package, which encompasses everybody’s individual care needs.
Cancellation
If the assignment is cancelled, seven days beforehand no payment is due. After this what ever has been agreed between the carer and the customer, seven days payment is due to the carer, unless another assignment is found.
Household Finances
Carers do take their customers out shopping, and to hospital
appointments, and it is important for money to be available for these expenses, or for the carer to be reimbursed for any costs incurred.
In the normal course of assignment the carers are paid at the end of their assignment, as well as their travel costs, which should have already been agreed
The Good Companions Role
Our role is:
• To carry out a face to face care assessment in the comfort of your own
home, or hospital/care facility where applicable.
• Assuring the process of selecting a Good Companions carer with yourselves and your family runs smoothly.
• To arrange start and finish dates of each carers assignments.
• Written confirmation of your arranged booking.
• To gather approximate arrival and leaving times of your Good Companions
carer.
• Gather your local contacts to assist you if needed.
• To ensure that you are receiving the highest quality of 24 hour live in care.
• To have regular contact with our customer and their family, to ensure you
are completely satisfied with our service.
We have found that nothing replaces the one-to-one service of our local Managers. Moreover, our standards of excellence are maintained for all of our great customers and carers, by the quality assurance officer.
The Assignment
We like the arrival time of the carer to be at twelve o’clock, or later by prior arrangement. If the assignment is a changeover then half a day is chargeable to the customer.
Handover period is usually estimated to be in the region of 2 hours.
The Carers Expectations
Carers should be given their own bedroom, which is to include wardrobe space. All these details will be discussed at the assessment stage.
Identification
The carer will produce a valid letter of engagement to the customer and a Driving License/Passport at the start of the assignment.
To enable you to understand a carer’s daily schedule, we have had permission from a family to use the following.
Obviously daily schedules can vary, but the example used gives a flavour of a particular day. The Good Companions 24 Hour Live in carers are self employed, and as such work unmeasured hours. In our care, support assessment form we ask the customer to estimate the average hours required, ensuring that the customer is complying with the minimum wage legislation. Every customer is unique and the daily care schedules can vary tremendously depending on the customers needs.
"Just wanted to say that our family are extremely grateful for the careful matching of the carers you have placed with mum, it has given us all peace of mind to know she is being so well cared for and we could not have asked for more! ”
A day in the life of a Carer
Morning
8am awake, the hoist was used, and I assisted with a shower in the
wet room. Medication was given, and creams were applied with
my help. Breakfast, I prepared breakfast, and afterwards my
customer has a rest in the portable reclining chair. Friends
and family come throughout the day for a coffee and catch up.
Midday
There is a twice monthly visit from the physiotherapist to aid with
relaxation. We often spend time sitting in the garden, this being
weather permitting.
Lunch Time
Lunch is usually had at 1.30. Occasionally with friends, and
with her husband.
Afternoon
Family members visit on an afternoon, which then enables me
to take a break. Once the family have gone, we usually take a drive out on an afternoon.
Evening
This is when we have catch up time with the television news, and
read the newspapers, or we sometimes watch an opera.
Evening Meal
Evening meal is usually had at 7.30pm, and is usually joined by
her husband. Sometimes she enjoys a gin & tonic, or a glass of
wine with her evening meal.
Bed Time
Normally she goes to bed around 8.30pm. She is hoisted, and I assist with her personal care. I assist her with getting in to her night wear and then in to her hospital bed.
I settle her down for the night, make sure she is comfortable, and
has everything to hand that she might need throughout the night.
Night Calls
Night calls happen, but it is very rare that I am up through the night with her. The carer gets to get some sleep too!
How To Arrange Our 24 Live in Care
Step 1
Awaiting your call
Awaiting your call We have a dedicated customer team awaiting your call; we will talk you through your needs , and will arrange a consultation with one of our managers.
Assessments can be carried out quickly and effectively.
Step 2
Our FREE care assessment.
This can take place very quickly and is undertaken by one of our senior team and is completely FREE of charge.
Step 3
Commencement of care
We will both agree a start date and time to commence your home care visits. We will introduce you to our highly trained carers, and your care service will start.
Step 4
Ongoing support
Once your care package has been agreed with yourself, our care managers will carry out regular reviews and care supervisions to ensure you are happy with our service
Live Well At Home - Your Way, With Us
We understand that home is where you feel happiest. If you want to stay living comfortably at home, you can live well, your way with the Good Companions Care at Home Agency.
Good Companions has been at the forefront of specialised home care for the elderly and supporting those being cared for and their families for many years.
Founded on personal experience, these family values remain at the core of everything we do 25 years on. Our award-winning care at home fits around your life and is well tailored, it is flexible, and it is adaptable.
Whether you are looking for help getting dressed and showered, help around the house or companionship, Good Companions trained care staff are perfectly matched to you.
We believe that age should be celebrated and that everyone should be able to live happily, comfortably, and independently at home.
Good Companions 2020 All rights reserved.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ARRANGING BETTER 24 HOUR CARE FOR A LOVED ONE , CONTACT US TODAY
We will also post you a copy of our new 24 Hour Care Leaflet
" Come and Visit Us at 14 Cornmarket , Penrith , Cumbria , CA117HT”
Mark Newby - Managing Director, Good Companions
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