Care that’s as unique as our clients are

Great care never follows a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Each person is an individual, with their own personality and experiences. Their care should be as unique as they are, and individually tailored to suit their needs.

At HomeCaring, this is the philosophy we follow when caring for clients like Kathryn.

An avid painter for most of her life, Kathryn is passionate about many things: visual art, her beautiful dog Poppy, staying active, and connecting with other people in her community. She also faces many challenges, as someone who is living with Parkinson’s disease.

Treating each client as an individual

One thing Kathryn struggles with is walking safely, which often puts her at risk of falling.  Over a year ago, she was approved for NDIS funding and began looking for a carer who could support her on a regular basis. A friend of hers suggested that she give HomeCaring’s services a go, so Kathryn got in touch with Akhila Chopra, who runs our Loganlea services in Brisbane’s southern suburbs.

Akhila paid Kathryn a visit in her home, and spent some time getting to know her. “That’s what I liked about HomeCaring; they came to visit,” recalls Kathryn. “I thought it was good that Akhila came out to visit me, and to explain everything.”

For Akhila, this personal approach goes hand in hand with HomeCaring’s mission to treat each client as an individual. “I personally spend quality time with my clients, to understand their needs and requirements,” she explains.

“This gives me time to understand what kind of support worker I need to match them with. I make sure I match them with someone who suits their different personalities, as everyone is unique.”

Holistic care that puts clients in control

After finding carers who Kathryn trusted and felt comfortable with, Akhila arranged for them to provide her with care five days a week from 8am until 4pm – and extra services on the weekend if needed.

They provide Kathryn with plenty of support, ranging from help with walking and personal care to cooking meals, cleaning the house, or taking her to activities such as hydrotherapy and body balance classes.

The team also works closely with allied health professionals, such as an occupational therapist and physiotherapist, to give Kathryn the maximum benefit from her care. Together, they make sure Kathryn’s house is suited to her needs, and that she can access the right kind of therapy.

Every step of the way, Kathryn is closely involved in the decision-making process. “we do a weekly schedule and have it laminated in the house, and we have a whiteboard where we put all her activities,” says Akhila. “Kathryn emails me, and I make sure I add her activities to the daily schedule, so she’s doing what she wants to do.”

Matching the right carers to clients

One of the biggest things Kathryn appreciates about her care is how Akhila has carefully matched her carers to her personality and interests.

She also helped Kathryn create a care plan that enabled her to enjoy and invest in the things she’s passionate about. “I really like the way Akhila matches the carers to you based on your interests and hobbies. For example, my carers have accompanied me to some painting classes which is a great passion of mine. They also get along with and play with Poppy, my dog, which is so nice,” says Kathryn.

“It’s given me a chance to get out with people … that’s a big help for me. With my carers, we catch up with different things, such as what we’re watching on TV. The company is the best thing.”

This is HomeCaring’s point of difference: we tailor our care to suit our client’s individuality, rather than simply assuming that one size fits all.

“We’re always asking, what do our clients want? How can we plan our support to assist them and make them feel better? We amend our care plans regularly, to ensure our clients are doing activities they enjoy,” says Akhila.

“It’s part of our aim is the bring a smile to one person’s face each day.”