Do you have a bucket list? Louise Cooke, our Senior Live-in Care Manager for the North East of England set her list of goals and achievements last year, and thought it a lovely idea to ask our customers in the area if they’d like to do the same.
We caught up with Louise eight months later to find out how everyone is getting on.
Where the idea for a bucket list of care came from
Having already started her own bucket list with her husband, Louise thought it would be a good opportunity for her customers and carers to share experiences together. She asked her carers to take some time finding out what their customers and their families wanted to do, and think about how they could help them achieve those goals.
“I was in a local shop and I saw like a memo pad that was shaped in a bucket list,” Louise explains. “As soon as Christmas was over and we began the New Year, I wrote every customer an individual card for them and their carer and on the left hand side I stuck a couple of the “bucket list” memos to help them get started.”
Since starting the bucket list idea, many of Louise’s carers have had the most incredible experiences. Read John’s story.
John from Yorkshire completes his bucket list
John lives with complex health needs and our live-in carer Lesley has been helping him for some time. Together, they have been rattling through his bucket list, using plenty of memos in the process.
With Lesley by his side, some of the many goals that John has been able to tick off the list include a trip to Skipton in Yorkshire to visit his son’s new establishment, a day at the theatre and even meeting a life-long friend after losing contact many years ago.
“John always talks about how he would love to see a musical so we stuck it on the bucket list and he was delighted,” Lesley explains.
“He kept mentioning the corner cupboard cafe so we put that on our list too and visited that last month – what a lovely little hideaway that was! His friend and his wife were really lovely and made us a homemade corned beef and potato pie.
Another of John’s bucket list ideas was to see his grandson in a school play. “John was totally thrilled to get to see him,” says Lesley.
A personal approach to home care
By getting their customers to choose the activities which matter most to them, Louise’s carers are focusing on what makes them happy, in the same way the care they provide is completely unique.
Louise has been overjoyed to see the impact the bucket lists have had. “It’s exactly what care is all about,” she says. “It’s been so nice to see the carers help the customers do the things that matter most to them. The smiles on both their faces gives me the best feeling!”
Find out more about one-to-one support from Helping Hands
Tailored care from Helping Hands is available across England and Wales. All of our carers receive full and ongoing training, with managers like Louise on hand to give advice with anything you need.
Find out about live-in care. If you’d like to join our ever-growing team of live-in carers, apply online.
