Care for me at home

Healthwatch Bexley conducted a qualitative exploration of the experiences and feelings of people receiving domiciliary care in the borough. The team conducted semi-structured interviews with 26 participants who were recipients of home care between May and September 2015. Nine of the interviews were conducted with a recipient’s relative or carer present or responding on behalf of them.

The report’s findings were generally positive. Recipients of domiciliary care were found to be 'very satisfied' or 'satisfied' with their care, with most reporting positive experiences of their care, particularly with the interactions with care staff. The care provided at home also aided with boosting the participants self-esteem and allowed them to engage in meaningful activities

However, some concerns were raised. Improved communication and continuity of care were highlighted as needing attention. While most felt that the care they received covered basic needs, they reported unmet social, emotional and rehabilitation needs which impacted their quality of life. For example, some recipients identified a need for greater choice in the organisation of their care, increased interactions and greater consistency of carers to support them. Many reported experiences of unreliable staff with poor time keeping, irregular, and infrequent duration of care worker visits. Additionally, issues of social isolation were raised by the participants. Many were receiving care for restricted mobility and some suggested that the basic mobility equipment for their care, and the lack of suitable and regular transport options, were not enough to enable them to continue to engage with existing social networks. This often resulted in feelings of loneliness and social isolation.

The report made a number of recommendations to improve the experiences of people receiving domiciliary care including; facilitating access to community networks to reduce isolation, to maintain high monitoring standards, facilitate improved recipient choice of type and level of care, improve information on other services, such as voluntary or privately funded services, ensure that the transitions from hospital to home care are smooth and that there is effective communication and continuity of care. The report also recommended that further research and development in domiciliary care is needed.

The report did not include a response from the service provider.