'Promoting independence' helps London home care provider gain 'outstanding' upgrade

Home Instead (Wandsworth, Lambeth & Dulwich) London has been rated 'outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and praised for their involvement in a number of community initiatives, to promote independence amongst the people they care for.

Credit: Home Instead. Tony O'Flaherty (right) and his team

With the help of Age UK and Alzheimer’s Society, Home Instead director, Tony O'Flaherty has been a key player in opening a wellbeing cafe in Streatham where people can go along with their care workers every Wednesday to socialise and feel less isolated.

'She interacted with other people, who found life very isolated and lonely.'

Mr O'Flaherty said: "They closed down all the day centres in our area, so we set one up this year. Our local Age UK helped us find a venue and the Alzheimer’s Society helped us to publicise the centre so we set up a community initiative centre in a doctor’s health centre in Streatham."

In the café, they serve tea, coffee and there is cake. The entertainment at the Streatham centre includes armchair exercises and a bit of singing.

“Once a month we hire a musician with a guitar, arts and craft, knitting, bingo and card games,” says Mr O'Flaherty

Home Instead achieved the highest possible overall CQC rating after a previous ‘good’ from the inspectorate in 2017.

The inspection found the service to be outstanding for caring and well-led and good for being safe, effective and responsive.

'My mum wouldn't miss it for the world'

In the CQC report, several relatives expressed their support of the initiative.

One relative said: "Having [the family member] attend the Home Instead wellbeing cafe earlier this year was probably the best thing she did. She interacted with other people, who like herself found life very isolated and lonely.

“Although she didn't want to go at first, once the barrier was broken, she started chatting to other people telling them all about her past life, her dancing and needlework."

Another relative told CQC their family member had resisted the family's attempts to go out of the house.

"With encouragement, she had regained confidence and independence to start going to a dementia cafe.

"We noticed how visiting the club had seemed to lift [the family member's] mood and raised her self-esteem, giving her the confidence to venture out where before she would not. The family are delighted with Home Instead's efforts to help [the family member] in this way."

Whilst another relative said: “My mum wouldn’t miss it for the world and that is what she looks forward to.”

Care workers are volunteering to cater at the Christmas party

Mr O’Flaherty said: “We were struggling initially to get people to go along but now we are over-subscribed.

“We did a big summer party and the mayor of Lambeth joined us for that." Home Instead are also hosting a Christmas party where the care workers are preparing the food.

"It takes a bit of time to get people to come along and interact and then you just can’t keep them away. They are really committed to it, they love it.”

Home Instead are planning to open another dementia cafe early next year in West Norwood’s library where they have a cinema and a Tovertafel (magic table).

Mr O’Flaherty said: “It will be a really nice space for people with dementia with a really nice atmosphere.”

click here for more details or to contact Home Instead (Wandsworth, Lambeth & Dulwich)