THE LIVE-IN CARE SPECIALISTS
At Oxford Aunts we have been helping people living with respiratory conditions, such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Bronchitis live a good quality of life in the comfort of their home for many years.
THE HOME YOU LOVE IS BEST FOR PERSONALISED ONE-TO-ONE CARE
Many families in Oxfordshire, and throughout the country believe the only choice they have when a family member or loved one needs respiratory care is that they must leave their much-loved home and move into a care home. This is just not true. Live-in care is becoming better understood and popular as a real alternative to moving into a residential setting for those who need respiratory care. With live-in care provided by Oxford Aunts you can be assured of a high-quality live-in care service provided by a trusted and established provider – a service that has benefitted many families for many years.
There are countless life-enriching benefits to staying at home with a highly trained and experienced carer who is dedicated to you, instead of facing the upset and worry of moving into a care or nursing home. With an Oxford Aunts carer you will be able to live life your way with as much independence as possible, with a tailored plan of care delivered by a compassionate carer on a one-to-one basis – this just simply cannot be offered in a care home.
Life in a care home can be very restrictive – you will have little choice as to when you get up, when you eat your meals and when you can have visitors and socialise. It is very different with live-in care. We have been helping our clients to continue to live with freedom and choice that means they can lead a better quality of life with all the support they need.
SPECIALIST RESPIRATORY CARE AT HOME PROVIDED BY EXPERIENCED CARERS
At Oxford Aunts our live-in care service for those living with respiratory conditions is highly personalised. Our observant and experienced carers are able to quickly identify symptoms associated with respiratory conditions that are not formally diagnosed, such as a build-up of phlegm, or breathing issues so that they can respond effectively by engaging the GP so any relevant treatment can be prescribed – we know that this avoids unnecessary hospital admissions.
Carers can support those with diagnosed respiratory conditions by managing medication, prompting and supporting inhaler use and providing suitable exercise aimed at improving circulation and increasing oxygen capacity. If a client is oxygen dependent our carers can be trained by local professionals in how to use it to support their client. Our carer will also facilitate social activities outside the home when clients are using oxygen concentrators, so you do not need to feel constrained by your concentrator. During the winter months when infections are more prevalent, our carers will provide the monitoring required to ensure you live a healthy and happy life at home.
RESPIRATORY HEALTH AWARENESS
As we age, our immune system naturally weakens making respiratory illnesses much more common and dangerous. Understanding and knowing the signs of respiratory conditions can lead to faster and, often life-saving, intervention.
There are four common respiratory illnesses that can affect your lungs including:
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): COPD is the name for a number of lung disorders that cause breathing difficulties. Two of the most common forms are emphysema and bronchitis. Symptoms of COPD include shortness of breath, frequent wheezing or coughing, phlegm and tightening in the chest.
- Pneumonia: Pneumonia is an infection where the tiny sacs in your lungs become inflamed causing them to swell and fill with fluid. This swelling can lead to difficulty breathing, fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, and a lack of appetite. Due to the natural weakening of our immune system, pneumonia is especially dangerous for adults over the age of 65.
- Bronchial Asthma: Bronchial asthma is a medical condition where the pathways to the lungs swell and narrow. As a result of this swelling, the bronchial airways produce extra mucus that leads to difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, and wheezing.
- Congestive Heart Failure: When the heart is weakened significantly, it can no longer pump blood through the body as it should. This can lead to blood and fluid backing up and collecting in the lungs. This problematic build-up is known as pulmonary edema and its symptoms include an increased heart rate, wheezing, swelling of the legs or feet and shortness of breath.
OUR LIVE-IN RESPIRATORY CARE SERVICE
An Oxford Aunts’ experienced and dedicated carer will provide a range of home care respiratory services in the comfort of your home including:
We know how important companionship is in our later years. Our compassionate and respectful carer will be matched to not only meet your care needs, but we look to match personalities and interests. We know this makes for a fulfilling and pleasurable way of life based on friendship and companionship. Whilst respecting your privacy, our carer is trained to support your psychological and emotional needs too.
Our carers are trained in management of medications, which is so important in supporting someone to live well in later life. They will proactively monitor and administer medications, ensuring they are effectively managed and any prescription required is ready as and when you need it. Peace of mind for everyone.
Whilst personal care relates to undertaking the day-to-day tasks of caring, including washing, bathing and getting dressed and undressed, it also considers a person’s confidence and self-esteem. There is nothing better than having freshly painted nails, or your hair styled how you like it – our carers will make sure you feel your best every day.
Oxford Aunts carers have a strong understanding of falls prevention and how conditions can impact on mobility. In conjunction with our experienced Care Assessors, and liaison with multidisciplinary teams, such as Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists, we can ensure you receive the correct equipment at home. This will be life enriching and enable you to feel safe and secure when moving around your home.
Your live-in carer will carefully plan all your meals and will shop for the groceries as needed. They will then cook healthy, nutritious and enjoyable food, considering your likes and dislikes. Many of our clients and carers enjoy cooking together as a shared pastime. Unlike a care home, you will be able to eat as and when you like.
At Oxford Aunts we know how important it is that you keep connected to your local community – whether it is a local community group you have attended for years, a stroll around a much-loved shop or sitting peacefully in a local park – our committed carers will facilitate your enjoyment outside of the home and support you to do as much as you wish.
Our carer will make sure your home is clean, tidy and well-kept to the standards you should expect. Everything from dusting, cleaning, vacuuming, washing and ironing to light garden work – our carer will ensure your home is looking its very best every day.
We know how important a much-loved pet is and how difficult caring for it may be when faced with other health concerns that are impacting day-to-day life. With an Oxford Aunts carer you can be assured that your pet will be well cared for, whilst you continue getting all the benefits and enjoyment of having your beloved pet with you in your home, as you always have.
MANAGING RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS AT HOME
If you are living with a respiratory illness, you can improve your life through the good management of your symptoms. Learning about your condition, its symptoms and your medications can make your day-to-day life easier.
Here are some tips for managing and reducing your respiratory symptoms at home:
- Give up smoking
- Eat a healthy and well-balanced diet
- Enjoy regular exercise
- Take your medications correctly
- Learn new breathing techniques
- Take care of your emotional well-being
- Ask for help when needed
THE VALUE OF RESPIRATORY CARE AT HOME
Our home care and respiratory service can help you manage your symptoms and enjoy a better quality of life despite the challenges that respiratory conditions bring. By moving into your home with you, our experienced live-in carers will be there to provide you with the one-to-one dedicated care required to reduce the impact of your symptoms and avoid unnecessary hospital admissions.
Here are some of the ways that home respiratory care can help you manage your respiratory symptoms at home.
Living a Healthy Lifestyle
Living an active lifestyle filled with physical activity and healthy, nourishing foods can help you manage the symptoms of your respiratory illness. Becoming fitter and more active will not only reduce the likelihood and severity of symptoms associated with respiratory conditions, but it will also have wide-reaching benefits for your mental well-being.
Our carers will be more than happy to encourage and support you in building or maintaining healthy habits. From community dance classes to simply strolling together in the park, our live-in carers are there to promote an active lifestyle filled with meaningful activities you enjoy. Your live-in carer will also plan and cook healthy and nutritious meals for you while always considering your likes and dislikes.
Reduce the Risk of Falling
As we age, the risk of falling becomes greater. This risk increases if you have a respiratory condition. When major organs such as the brain receive less oxygen due to a respiratory condition, you might experience symptoms that can lead you to fall such as lightheadedness and dizziness.
Our carers can help render your home a safer environment by removing clutter and suggesting mobility aids and home adaptations that can reduce your risk for slips and falls. Family and friends can also enjoy the peace of mind knowing that someone is there to help their loved one should an emergency ever arise.
Help you Control Your Breathing
When faced with symptoms like shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing, many people panic or feel anxious and this can lead to a worsening of symptoms. Our live-in carers are experienced in caring for people living with respiratory conditions and they can help you manage your symptoms by being a calming support and guiding you through some helpful breathing techniques.
Along with helping you to manage your breathing more effectively, a live-in carer can help you organise and manage your medications and take over any household chores that cause you to feel breathless.
Companionship and Friendship
The physical symptoms associated with living with a respiratory condition may cause you to feel anxious or isolated at times. This emotional stress can further weaken your immune system and lead to a worsening of your respiratory symptoms.
Our compassionate live-in carers are there to provide you with companionship and friendship, if and when you need it. Whether it’s watching your favourite movies together or simply chatting over a cup of tea, your live-in carer will provide a friendly face and emotional support, right when you need it most.
WHY CHOOSE OXFORD AUNTS FOR SPECIALIST RESPIRATORY CARE?
We have been providing high-quality care services to many families across the Oxford and beyond for over 50 years. At the heart of our respiratory care is enabling people to live well in their own home with the care and support they need from a carefully well-matched, trained and dedicated carer. Our carers enable a better quality of life for those receiving care, whilst families receive a fully managed and regulated service that they can trust and rely on.
Experienced and perfectly matched carers
We are very proud of our dedicated carers, most of whom have worked for Oxford Aunts for many years. All our carers have previous care experience before they join us and will be carefully matched working with you and your family to ensure they are able to meet not just your care and support needs, but are closely aligned with how you wish to live your life, sharing common interests, personalities and backgrounds. In the rare situation, the match does not work out we will happily work with you and your family to find the care team that does.
Continuity of care makes all the difference
Our carers will come and live with you to provide care and support for a longer period than might be offered by other live-in care providers. We know that this gives an opportunity for a strong relationship to be formed and a deeper understanding of our clients’ respiratory care needs offering consistency and continuity of care.
Expertly trained carers
Our industry leading training programme completed by all our carers has been created with leading charities and clinical experts and goes well beyond industry standards. This enables our carers to support those living with respiratory disease and other complex conditions that require more monitoring, care and support. From induction training, into placement and beyond our carers never stop learning new skills that ensure they can deliver the quality respiratory care our clients should expect, whilst finding new ways to further enhance the level of care they provide.
A fully managed and regulated RESPIRATORY CARE service
At Oxford Aunts we know how worrying it can be when organising care for a person living with a respiratory condition – we just want our loved on to receive the best care and live a good life. When choosing a live-in care provider, it is important to consider whether you use an introduction agency, who simply introduce you to a carer who you supervise, pay and manage yourself, or you used a fully managed service provider who does all that for you, whilst ensuring high standards of care are provided to your loved one. Our fully managed and regulated respiratory care service offers families reassurance at a time they need it most.
Unlike introduction agencies, all our live-in carers are directly employed and managed by us whilst they are caring for you. They are supported by a care management team made up of care experts who ensure they are supervised and supported to provide the high standards of respiratory care our clients should expect.
Rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC)
We are proud to have been rated ‘Good’ by CQC in all five measures – safe, caring, effective, responsive and well-led. We know this provides families with peace of mind that their loved one is receiving the best possible care.
Unrivalled support near you
We operate throughout Oxfordshire and its surrounding counties. Each regional team is made up of a dedicated Care Assessor local to you who is on hand to provide unrivalled levels of support to you, your family and our carer. They are supported by a Care Manager at our central office who handles all other aspects of care delivery to ensure a quality service is delivered, every time.
OUR HIGH-QUALITY LIVE-IN CARE SERVICE
INCLUDES:
- A comprehensive assessment of your needs – our assessment will address not just your care needs but how you wish to live your life
- Careful matching of an experienced and dedicated carer who will meet all your needs
- A highly tailored care plan created using a multidisciplinary approach in consultation with other healthcare professionals and community organisations involved in your care, as well as where appropriate your family members or loved ones
- Unrivalled support from a team of two care management experts local to you
- Domestic and household tasks
- Cooking, meal planning, shopping and preparation
- 24-hours a day out-of-hours emergency support should you need it
GET IN TOUCH ABOUT YOUR RESPIRATORY CARE NEEDS
Our expert care advisors are here to help you understand the options available to you.
Socialisation is key to health and happiness
With isolation a concern as we get older, our proactive carers will facilitate you having visitors as and when you wish. Whether it is a catch up with friends, a family occasion or celebration our carer will meet all your socialisation needs so you can enjoy life at home.