Why All Care Plans Need To Be Reviewed
When you first arrange care and support for a loved one, creating a care plan is crucial. There isn’t a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution to home care and it is essential to ensure that your family member or friend’s care is suitable for their individual needs. A care needs assessment will help you and your care provider to create a tailored plan that a home care provider can follow to help ensure they’re providing the right type and amount of care.
Once home care services are in place, it is important to make sure that the care plan is being reviewed, ideally more frequently than once a year. Commonly, the first review will be after just a few weeks and then reviews will take place on a regular basis thereafter. It can be really easy to overlook regular reviews, but they are incredibly important for a number of reasons, including;
Needs can change over time
If your loved one’s care plan is not reviewed on a regular basis, there is a chance that their mental or physical health will be put at risk. Over time, you may find that your family member or friend’s needs have changed and their care plan is therefore no longer suitable for them. So, some changes need to be made to ensure they remain happy and healthy in their own home.
It isn’t uncommon for the number of hours of care required to change over time, often as a person gets older or their condition deteriorates, and a care plan needs to be adapted to meet any new needs. By making sure the plan remains up to date and suitable for your loved one, you can rest assured knowing they will always be getting the home care they require.
The type of home care service needed may change
Sometimes, home care services that were once beneficial for someone may no longer be required and other services may now be more useful for them. For example, if your family member or friend currently receives domestic care services and they’re starting to feel quite lonely, they might benefit more from having companionship care services as well.
During a care plan review, you will have the opportunity to carefully look at what home care services are still working well and what needs to be changed to provide better support to your loved one. A trained care team can then make sure the right care and support is being provided at the right time, and you won’t be paying for services that aren’t needed.
Adapt to new circumstances
Over time, your loved one’s wishes may change, and it is essential to ensure that their care plan remains in line with their wishes. Even if a care plan is still meeting the needs of your family member or friend, they may have changed their mind about what type of support they’re happy to receive and it is always important to include the person receiving care in all decisions about home care.
Not all care plan reviews need to be scheduled and if you or your loved one are unhappy with the care being provided or feel it needs to be adapted, a review can take place at any time. Not only are home care services designed to help your loved one live independently, but they should have a positive impact on their life in general and it is important to ensure that this is always the case.
Prevent overpaying for care
As you may expect, the cost of home care services can change over time and if you don’t review the care plan, you may end up paying more for care than you should be. A review will help you ensure that not only is the care currently being provided still suitable, but that you’re getting good value for money too. Receiving care at home can be expensive, so this is incredibly important.
Reviewing a care plan
Ultimately, it is important to ensure that your loved one’s care plan is being reviewed on a regular basis and this isn’t something you should overlook. If you’re searching for a care broker that can assist you with the management of a family member or friend’s care, feel free to get in touch with the Care Captains team today.
We have many years of experience assisting clients with home care services and we will gladly help you ensure your loved one is always getting the high-quality care and support they need. You can always rely on us to help with monitoring care performance. We really do have unparalleled knowledge of the care market and you can rest assured that there is no better company to assist you with the management of your loved one’s care.