Compassionate Live-in And Visiting Home Care Services
Professional, personal, and committed care for the elderly and older adults at risk in Devon
Helping you or your relatives live a fulfilling, independent life safely at home with flexible, cost-effective, and exceptional personal care.
There’s care, and then there’s rural care...
19 Jun 2024 Chris Lorimer Care support
“I can’t quite hear you! Your signal is rubbish?
You’re lost? Is there anything distinctive near you? Just a field with cows in it?
You need to look out for the house with a wonky chimney and then you turn right at the post box – no, after the telegraph pole – watch out for the potholes on the drive – it nearly took my exhaust off!”
Just a common conversation we have with our carers who are out on their own in the midst of rural Devon. They are our heroes – doing whatever it takes to get to clients who rely on them for their care and support.
Rural care is not straight forward. In our part of the world most of our clients live in small villages, hamlets or isolated dwellings. Often mobile signal or GPS connection is dreadful or non-existent, leaving the carer stranded with limited directions and with no means to contact others for support. In winter, it is worse with roads often impassable because of flooding or branches from trees blocking their routes. Punctures are commonplace with some potholes achieving “crater-like” status. Even when you think you have nearly made it, cows or sheep being herded across the road can halt your progress.
So, it takes a certain type of carer to be able to operate in these circumstances – one that is calm under pressure and able to problem solve, arriving at their destination apparently calm despite feeling exactly the opposite!
Rural care needs to be considered differently. In urban areas, operational efficiency is paramount, ensuring carers can see multiple clients in one day. Whereas in rural areas, whilst operational efficiency is important it is less important than creating realistic schedules that enable the carer to get to clients in good time without feeling stressed.
At Care With Kindness, our mission is to provide affordable and high quality care. This means that we accept that, unlike other caring organisations we can not expect to make large profits (and neither do we want to). We have set our rates at affordable levels and do not charge travel surcharges like other companies. Additionally, we say to our clients that we need an hour to provide the care required, ensuring that their care visits are not rushed and allow the important conversations that are as critical to the client’s wellbeing as the more obvious caring activities.
So next time you see a carer in a sunken lane near you, think of them and wish them luck! Without them, there will be many people in isolated and remote areas who are not getting the support they need.
If you are interested in becoming a carer with Care With Kindness, please contact us at sandra@carewithkindness.co.uk or ring on 01884 220150 (option 2).
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