Preparing room for visiting carers

[Eleanor _1809]

Hi, new carer here. My brother in law - 49, mobility issues and learning difficulties was lovingly cared for full time by his mum for his whole life. No restbite nothing. She sadly passed away and to keep routine as usual we are having carers to come in at home before and after the day centre as me and my partner work. This is very new to this family so we want to know if there is anything we can put in place to help carers - such as labelling items? Or displaying important information such as medication on wall. We’re obviously making adjustment such as extending his room to include a raising bed to be changed on. It’s more what carers visiting different homes might find useful. Especially as he is very sensitive to routine and language ! I know they will know all this but they aren’t here for long and we don’t want them spending their whole hour bargaining with him ,he does everything in his own time.

Many thanks

[Greta]

Hi Eleanor,

Just briefly because I ought to have gone to bed now, but tomorrow there will be more.

Are the carers from an agency? There should be a consultation with you to draw up a plan.Then they will have their written instructions/file/app and you will be lucky if they carry out everything on the plan written there. I am assuming they will have a plan of duties they have to do every day. So in that connection wait and see.

I did put labels on all the cupboards. It was surprising how little the carers looked at it! I think they are just used to guessing where things are. But some said it was helpful. Not the one who turned out to be unable to read though!

Is there a lot of medication? The carers (from an agency) should have that written down. I found it helpful to get the pharmacy to deliver prescribed medicine in a dosette pack so they and I could see that all the day's medicine had been given. (We had to get used to them making sure my brother did not conceal the medicine in his cheeks and spit it out later).

There must be more but I am sure others will think of that. Good luck with it - you sound well organized. There's nothing carers hate more than people who refuse to get a raisable bed.

[Henrietta]

Yes definitely labels and keep medication in the same place - a good plastic box container or locked tin if it is secure medication . Have you got a key box- essential or you will spend all day answering the door.
Plenty of hand soap, place to leave dirty shoes, obvious place for kitchen bits- washing and dishwasher tablets etc.
Labelled supply of tea and coffee with an invite to make themselves one- best to keep them happy- others will no doubt disagree.