Learning Resources

Elder Care – Home Help

A lot of what we are doing at AFAH involves taking on the challenges of ageing ourselves, which means taking control of our own futures through planning and acting before intervention is required. The good news is that we don’t have to do all of this alone.

There are options for us to get help into the home, which may well be the difference between having to change where we live, or staying at home longer. Elder are a company who offer home care that ranges from very light touch, such as short-term help after hospitalisation or a few hours a week, to full-time, live-in care.

Why Elder?

Why should you chose Elder over other providers? I’m aware there a lot of care providers out there. I like Elder because they match carers with the person who needs the care.

Unlike other providers, who are likely to tell you who is coming to work with you, Elder match the carer to your needs with a smart, AI driven, app. As an example, you can look for things like what pets the carer likes and dislikes, the weight of anyone who needs to be lifted, what type of personality they have, etc. So, if you or your parent, have cats, you can chose someone who also likes cats, or if someone needs a lot of chair-to-bed or chair-to-wheelchair transfers, you can choose someone who is capable of doing that, etc.

Furthermore, Elder do the important checks and feedback to make sure the person is also the right professional for your needs. They basically make the connection for you and then handle the payments. If you aren’t happy with your initial carer match, Elder will provide you with your next choice of carer.

I like Elder because they understand the nuances of one-to-one care, and the relationship that needs to exist between the carer and the person needing care. The relationship has to include trust, empathy, kindness, knowledge, and understanding. In my opinion, Elder provide these, and more.

We understand every care story is personal, because ours is no different.

A few years ago, Pete’s family had a tough time finding the right care for his Gran, Frances. When Frances needed a little extra help, they began looking after her themselves. Arranging for carers to pop in and out during the day wasn’t easy, and it was difficult to know when or how long they spent time with Frances.
How will we then ensure our loved ones not only get the support they need but get the care that keeps them happy and connected to the lives they’ve built? Our parents and grandparents spend years creating homes that become the heart of the family. A place everyone comes back to for Christmas and holidays.
For Pete, he believed there had to be a way that older people could hold on to this and stay in their own homes for as long as they wanted.Elder was created to provide live-in care that protects these connections.

By matching carers on their personality, interests, and skills, older people can enjoy companionship while keeping the routines, hobbies, and lives they love. Whether it’s going to the local bowls club (something Frances used to do quite regularly), popping to the hairdressers for a blow dry, going to church, or simply spending time with friends who live nearby, Elder can help people enjoy life to the fullest extent they can as they age.

Finally, Pete’s family decided the only way to keep Frances safe and ensure she got the care she needed was to move her into a care home. Pete was struck by how, at the time, they felt there was no other option. For over 200 years, the care home has become an accepted practice when a loved one needs a certain level of care, and he wanted to know why. Around 6.5 million people are looking after a loved one themselves – putting a considerable amount of emotional and financial pressure on families all over the UK.

Over 2.6 million people believe they will have to quit their jobs to provide care to a loved one. But what happens when people can’t leave their jobs? If marriages break up, or families need to move away? Looking deeper into the social care industry, Pete saw the size of the problem ahead. The number of people aged 85+ in the UK will double in the next 20 years. However, the number of care homes isn’t increasing.