A new local care service in London from leading home care provider, The Good Care Group
What is convalescent care?
Convalescent care is a type of short-term care for people who need extra support to aid their recovery following a recent illness, surgery, stroke, or fall. Convalescence care can be provided in a convalescent care home, or your own home by a live-in or hourly carer.
Like with other forms of home care from Cherished, the support you receive during your convalescence can be fully tailored to your specific needs. It can include help with daily tasks, including personal care, dressing and washing, light housekeeping, mobility support, and much more.
Convalescence care is specifically goal-orientated, focusing on providing the support you need to get back on your feet. Once you have fully recovered, the aim is for the care provision to cease and for you to transition to living independently once again.
This means if you live with a condition that is unlikely to improve, then you may want to explore other types of home care, which could provide a more suitable long-term solution.
What does convalescent mean?
Convalescent means the time spent recovering from an illness or medical treatment. As a result, convalescent care is designed to be provided as a temporary measure for as long as the healing process takes. It is often patient-led and driven by your needs to ensure that you take the time you need to recuperate fully. This could be for a few days or a few months, depending on the severity of the health condition, illness, injury, or surgery you are recovering from.
That being said, if it becomes apparent that you are not recovering as expected, are unlikely to be able to live independently in the future, or just feel you would benefit from ongoing support, you may benefit from other types of home care, like live-in care, hourly care, or complex care.
One of the benefits of choosing Cherished Home Care to support you during a period of convalescence is that we can provide a comprehensive range of home care options. This means that if it becomes clear convalescent care is no longer adequate for your needs or you decide you would like ongoing support. We can complete a care needs assessment and get the right care put in place seamlessly.
Where can convalescent care be provided?
Convalescent care can be provided in your own home or a residential or nursing home setting. Which is best for you largely depends on your specific needs and preferences and how well your home can be adapted to accommodate any necessary mobility aids to support you during your convalescence.
At-home convalescent care means you get support in the comfort of your own home. This could be provided by a live-in carer who resides in your home and supports you round-the-clock or an hourly carer who visits at prearranged points throughout the day. Live-in convalescent home care is generally suited to people who need support 24/7. For example, it may be a good option if you have recently had a stroke and require support to ensure you can safely return to your home. Hourly care, on the other hand, is best suited to people who only need support with specific tasks throughout the day, like help getting up in the morning or preparing meals.
With a convalescent care home, you move into a residential or nursing home for a short time while you recover. This can be beneficial for people who feel their home would be unsuitable for them to recover in, but for many, it can cause unnecessary distress as they would rather be in familiar surroundings.
Below, we explore some of the differences between the two options:
Who is convalescent care suitable for?
Convalescent care is suitable for individuals who need short-term support during a period of recuperation. This could be following a hospital stay due to an illness, after a recent operation, a stroke, or a fall.
The purpose of post-operative rehabilitation and convalescent care is to provide support until you are fully recovered and can transition back to your usual lifestyle.
What tasks can a convalescent carer help with?
The exact support delivered by a convalescent carer will depend on your specific needs, including the condition you are recovering from and the support you will need day-to-day to ensure you fully recover in a timely manner.
Some of the most common types of tasks a convalescent carer can help with include:
- Personal care, like washing, grooming, and dressing
- Medicine administration
- Light housework
- Mobility support
- Running errands
- Preparing meals and snacks
- Companionship
- Communicating with other healthcare professionals
- Escorting you to appointments
Before convalescent care is put in place, a care assessment will be carried out to find out more about the tasks you will need help with. This assessment will form the basis of a bespoke convalescent care plan, which will outline your current health status, the tasks you need help with, and an estimated recovery timeline. This not only helps guide carers as to when you can attempt certain activities independently so they can support you on your recovery journey, but it is also useful for monitoring you and ensuring your recovery stays on track.
When should convalescent care be put in place?
Ideally, convalescence care should be put in place before you are discharged from hospital. This ensures that you have all the support you need in place to recover.
However, sometimes things do not always run to plan, and you may find you need to put emergency care in place. For example, a family member may have been planning to support you during your recovery but may fall ill during your convalescence and be unable to support you as needed. In these circumstances, we can step in and help. Our friendly and welcoming team can be on hand in an instant to ensure that appropriate convalescent care at home can be arranged quickly and efficiently in an emergency.
Why choose Cherished Home Care
We are a brand-new home care provider based in London, offering local, bespoke care to you in your home. We may be new, but we have the expertise, knowledge and experience of ‘Outstanding’ care provider, The Good Care Group, who work closely with our Cherished team to provide high-quality care, support and carer training.
Local to you
A dedicated team of care managers and carers who know London and the local areas.
Industry-leading carer training
Our carer training programme is created by our in-house experts - the same training delivered by The Good Care Group
Experts in care
A team of in-house clinicians including a registered nurse, occupational therapist and dementia expert.
Cost-effective care
Pay for the care you need when you require it with our market-leading rates.
Let us find you a trusted convalescence carer
1. Speak to us
Get in touch with our friendly care advisors today 0203 728 7572, and they will be able to answer all of your questions to help you make the right choice.
2. Free home care assessment
Our team can arrange a free home care assessment with your local care manager, where they can meet with you and assess your needs and requirements in detail.
3. Care begins
Meet your carers and begin your journey with Cherished Home Care. With minimal carer changes, you’ll soon be acquainted.