Paula Beaney is the Quality Assurance Director for Promedica24 and has over 25 years experience in the health and social care industry, working as a care worker, registered manager, operations director and as an Inspector for the Care Quality Commission.
Paula’s belief that good care is person centred and that every person should have the choice to be cared for at home is what attracted her to the role with Promedica24.
Quality care is what we all strive to deliver, but it would be impossible to achieve this without truly understanding the needs of our clients. Our care assessments establish the level of care and support needed for an individual, which could be from low-level support, companionship and help around the home, right through to more complex personal care needs. Equally as important, they establish the personality and ‘wants’ of those we care for.
We recognise that care is very personal to the individual, and even more so if the care is provided in their own home. Following a care assessment we offer our clients a choice of potential care workers, who we feel will complement their care and support needs, personality and lifestyle preferences.
Our aim is to provide a quality person centred care plan, alongside a trusting and healthy relationship. We are all unique so it is important that the care worker and the person needing care have similar personalities and interests.
Family members and existing carers are crucial at the care assessment stage. More often than not the client will want them heavily involved in the process of sourcing and implementing their care. Our ethos for care planning mirrors the MCA framework and we encourage involvement from the individual and keep the wishes of the person at the centre of their care and support.
Once care is in place, our assessments are a continual process. We provide on-going support to our care workers so they are able to continually deliver high quality care. They are contacted weekly to ensure there are no issues with the delivery of care and that the relationship between care worker and client is a healthy one.
Our Care Managers will also visit the client in their own home at least once a month. This provides an opportunity for the client, and the care worker, to address any concerns and assess whether a care plan needs to be amended before the six-month review. If ever needed, both the client and the care worker have access to a dedicated Promedica24 emergency line.
We meet different characters each and every day, and the fact they now require care or support should not take away their dignity and enjoyment of life. Our care workers immerse themselves fully in their clients’ lives and accompany them on trips and outings or support them with activities at home.
These lifestyle choices are important to the health and well-being of our clients, and we are all aware of the negative effects associated with an individual’s inability to continue with an interest they love. Our role is to fulfil our clients wishes, with as much or as little support as they need. These are all factors that are considered when looking at a truly personalised care plan.
As care professionals, we must remember that our roles are not just about meeting physical care needs; our role is to meet the needs of the person as a whole – a truly person-centred approach. As an industry we need to ensure individuals, and their families, are offered choice and control so they are able to make an informed decision about the type of care they receive.
www.promedica24.co.uk
