How home care services are catering for an ageing population

Although one does not have to be old to suffer from debilitating conditions like dementia, there is clearly a link between the two – and the role of home carers is only set to become more important in future decades as the population continues to age. Bramble Home Care (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk) is proud to play its own part by providing the highest standard of tailored home help in Gloucester for those that want to preserve their independence at home in their later years.

The statistics make clear the scale of the challenge facing the UK in future years, as far as adequately caring for its elderly is concerned. Only 5% of the population was aged 65 and over in 1901 and this had more than doubled by 1951. It hit 16% in 2001. Since 1985, the median age of the population – the age at which half of the population is above, and half below – rose from 35 to 40. Whereas a 65-year old man in around 1960 would expect to live for a further 11 years, a man of that age in 2010 could expect 21 more years of life.*

Across the UK and indeed the world, the ageing population can be largely attributed to a long-term decline in birth rates. As a home care agency in Gloucestershire, we acknowledge the prevailing trend and the challenges that await us over the coming years. We know, for example, that over the next two decades, there will be a doubling in the number of “old, old people”, those aged 80 or 85 and over, from 1.53 to 3.25 million*. These people depend on care services much more heavily, which is one reason why we do not hesitate to continually develop our own services in home help in Gloucestershire.

Of course, the increasing need for home care also increases the demand for the very highest quality home care. We therefore take very seriously the training and ongoing professional development of our home carers in Gloucestershire, with vigorous security checks needing to be passed by new staff. Mandatory training is also provided to new workers in the likes of manual handling, food hygiene and first aid. But we also take pride in tailoring our services to the exact needs of service users, with the likes of personal care, a sleep-in service, care escorts, palliative care and 24 hour live-in care all available.

To determine whether our services here at Bramble Home Care (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk) are suitable for their needs, prospective service users are able to meet us – usually in their own home – as part of a completely free, no obligation assessment. If this meeting is to your satisfaction, then you may come to an agreement on us providing you with care in your own home in Gloucestershire. It’s all part of our commitment to ensuring that you live every year of your own life to the full, even as the population at large continues to age.

source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/mar/11/increasing-social-care-demands-ageing-population

Editor’s Note: Bramble Home Care (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.