I Don’t Want Care! (but a little support might be nice)
Here at Hub Care Support, we sometimes hear exactly this – “but I don’t want care!” or “I don’t need a carer!”. Our register of QCAS approved Personal Assistants (PAs) don’t just deliver ‘care’ but just love to support people to get the most out of their lives, providing hassle-free support for quality of life. Whilst all of our PAs are fully approved, referenced and checked carers, it is not all about personal care. Sometimes it’s not about ‘care’ at all!
Service users have a wide range of requirements and we take great pleasure in introducing them to the perfect PA that suits their needs and interests. We know from the example of our founder, Marrilyn Green, that older people still have a lot on their to-do lists! So, what kinds of things can Hub PAs help with? What kind of magic could a PA bring to your life?
💜 Domestic Support (‘House Pixies’)
💜 Meal Preparation (‘Food Fairies’)
💜 Social Support (‘An Elf for Yourself – or a Loved One’)
💜 IT Support (‘Tech Wizards’)
💜 Seasonal Support (‘Sprites of the Season’)
💜 Domestic Support (‘House Pixies’)
Many service users find themselves in a position where it’s not that they can’t do chores around the house, it’s just that they don’t want to. For whatever reason, housework chores have become so bothersome that you are planning your social and other commitments around it. If your energy is limited, then it makes sense to want to use it for doing things which enrich your life, like catching up with friends and family or hobbies.
Hub PAs can help with larger tasks like changing beds, vacuuming or mopping the floors. They are equally happy with routine chores like cleaning the kitchen and washing up, hanging up or collecting in the laundry or emptying the bins. Several clients like to have someone around on bin day to put out or bring in the bins, or when the supermarket shopping arrives to carry it into the kitchen and put it all away. All small ways to support and improve their quality of life around the home.
What chores take more of your time and effort than they deserve? What would you rather be doing?
💜 Meal Preparation (‘Food Fairies’)
You might think that in this day and age when we have so many excellent ready meals available at the supermarket, nobody has help at home with the cooking. You could not be more wrong! There are many reasons why service users have a PA to help with food prep.
Some people have special dietary requirements. While some people are born with lactose or gluten intolerance, others may develop medical conditions needing special diets at any time of life. Coeliac disease aggravated by gluten? Need to avoid certain foods for diabetes or Crohn’s? Prefer a plain diet that is easy on your diverticulitis? You are likely to find yourself cooking every meal from scratch, and unable to take advantage of those ready meals.
Hub PAs are used to cooking for special dietary needs, freeing your time for the things you enjoy most. Some even have specialist nutrition backgrounds and can help you find your feet with new dietary requirements, for instance, in response to newly diagnosed heart issues.
Sometimes service users just want a home cooked meal, or an old favourite. Others still enjoy cooking but find themselves avoiding beloved recipes because of the amount of work involved. Our PAs are equally happy to help by chopping vegetables and preparing ingredients so that you can put them together – or just clearing away and washing up afterwards!
PAs can also batch cook for several days at once, or to fill your freezer for the days when you don’t have the time or want to cook for yourself! Quality of life can mean convenience as well as service!
How nice would it be to have meals at home which you didn’t have to think about?
💜 Social Support (‘An Elf for Yourself – or a Loved One’)
At different times in our lives, through no fault of our own, we can find ourselves more isolated than we would like. We find our social circle shrinking with those close to us moving away, or busier with their own lives, or less able to get out and connect in the ways we did before. Our friendly Hub PAs can share so many stories of the ways they have helped people in these situations. Whether it’s transporting someone to a church group, going out for coffee together, walking the dog along the beach or visiting some of our wonderful National Trust properties here in Devon, they love to take their clients out and about. Missing swimming or would just like someone to share the experience with? Our PAs can be right there for you!
Equally, PAs love to help with puzzles, or card games and jigsaws – or just a nice cuppa tea and a chat.
You may worry that this is indulgent, but lots of research (UK Health Security Agency, People’s Health Trust) confirms that social connections are an important part of quality of life for all of us. Social connections and social time are vital for all of us.
It may also be that you recognise the need for some consistent and regular social time for a loved one. People can find that a PA can make sure their partner keeps mobile by having a walk outside a couple of times a week, and enjoys both the fresh air and the change of company. We can discover all kinds of things in common. For instance, one service user who used our service was a former pilot and now loves visiting his local airport with his PA who happens to be a keen plane spotter. Who would have thought?!
If you are a carer yourself, a PA can provide some social stimulation for your loved one whilst also enabling you to maintain your social life. Keeping up with your hobbies and your friends becomes even more important when you are providing support, and carrying responsibility, for somebody else. Getting out to meet friends for coffee, do some shopping on your own or keeping fit and healthy are all important for you as well, for your quality of life.
What would you like to spend a couple of hours doing each week?
💜 IT Support (‘Tech Wizards’)
If you worry about getting online, Hub PAs can also help! These days, so much of modern life takes place on the internet. We can shop, bank, pay bills, and send and receive emails. Practically, everyday life is becoming harder if you are not online, and increasingly companies and systems are making fewer accommodations to those of us who are not. PAs can get you going online. They can help you set yourself up, make sure you are safe, and sit with you while you gain confidence. Never be afraid of pressing the wrong button again!
Sometimes service users are already online, but are branching out to new devices, like a tablet (i-pad) or a smartphone. Often, a PA will have experience and will be able to help – or, if not, we will know someone who can!
And once you are online, social media can help you find old friends, like-minded people, or just keep up with the news from your communities.
You never know how being online can improve your quality of life until you try it!
💜 Seasonal Support (‘Sprites of the Season’)
There are several times of the year when a little extra help can go a long way. For instance, Hub PAs often help with wrapping Christmas or birthday presents and getting them to the post office. If you are online, they can help with recording and sending Christmas messages.
The spring often brings us requests for trips to the garden centre. Buying and planting out bedding plants lifts the spirits as well as setting you up for an enjoyable time out in the garden (or through the window!) all summer.
Summer weddings and family parties are a joy, but it can be a shame if you have loved ones who feel unable to visit because of the care they need. Our PAs can step in to support on a temporary basis to make sure everything gets the most out of the occasion. Similarly, if you are a carer and your loved one is no longer able to travel, there is no need to miss out. Our PAs can also help cover, from chores or check-ins to fully living in, so that you have peace of mind while you are away.
Part of the magic of what we do is introducing service users with the right PA for them. One of my favourite introductions gelled on the question, “And, can you weld?”! We like to be able to give people a choice of PAs so that they can find someone who is the perfect fit for them. We understand that it is not always about ‘care’. Support takes many forms, but the best is always based on a relationship of trust.
How could a Hub PA improve your Quality of Life?
Do also check out our related blog posts on the Cost of Care in Devon and Health Check for Your Home Care to compare our services with others locally.
