Abacare provides personality matches to combat social isolation
A CARE provider has revealed (July, 2017) it is able to match up its care worker’s personalities with that of its service users to help combat social isolation.
Abacare’s care workers visit elderly service users who often live alone and as well as providing vital care they’re also a friendly face and someone for users to socialise with.
Sarah Williams, Registered Manager at the award-winning care agency, Abacare, which has offices in Rhondda Cynon Taf, said: “Elderly people are the most at risk of social isolation and it can leave them feeling cut off from the outside world.
“Many of our service users are elderly and live alone so to combat potential social isolation we encourage our carers to chat with them and be a friend. Before designating a carer to a service user we can make sure both of their personalities match up, giving the service user someone they can trust and get on with on a daily basis.”
According to the Campaign to End Loneliness 17% of older people are in contact with family, friends and neighbours less than once a week and 11% are in contact less than once a month. More than half of people aged 75 and over live alone.
Research has also found that two fifths of older people say the television is their main company.
Sarah added: “We believe providing emotional care is just as important as the physical and we are doing our upmost to make sure our service users don’t feel lonely or isolated.
“It is an advantage if our care workers have some similar interests to our service users so they have something in common and something they can talk about on a regular basis. We want our service users to feel completely comfortable in their own homes and to consider their carer as a friend.”
Abacare operates a professional Care Management Team that is committed to providing high quality care to individuals in their own homes.
The large team of trained, specialist, care workers provide positive based outcomes and person centred care to people throughout Wales.
Abacare’s core values, instilled into every staff member, include ‘make us proud’, ‘focus on our service users’ wellbeing’, ‘communicate, listen well and speak with respect’, ‘be passionate, honest, caring and considerate’, ‘recruit and develop the very best’ and ‘lead by example’.
It believes it offers inspiring work for inspirational people.
It is a member of the United Kingdom Homecare Association, Ceretas (formerly British Association of Domiciliary Care), The National Homecare Council and The Information Commissioners Office (Data Protection). It is also registered with the Care Social Services Inspectorate Wales.
Abacare has been awarded an Investors in People accolade for its staff training and development for the fourth year running.
Investors in People is a national standard, which provides a framework that helps organisations to improve performance and realise objectives through the effective management and development of their staff.
It was also named Britain’s ‘Most Outstanding Care Agency’ at the UK Over 50s Housing Awards in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
For more information about Abacare, please call 01443 742645 or visit www.abacare.org.uk. Alternatively, please follow the company on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/Yn4zmS or on Twitter by visiting www.twitter.com/visitabacare.
