How To Create an Efficient Care Plan
What is a Care Plan?
If you’re wondering how to create a care plan, it’s important to know what one is and what it should contain. Care plans should be personalised to the person’s needs and requirements, focussing on you and making sure you get the support to live as independently as possible. Helping Hands have been delivering exceptional care in our customer’s homes since 1989, which explains why we’re the UK’s most trusted home care provider. We’ll produce you a personalised care plan that takes into account every aspect of your daily routine, including:
- Personal and continence care
- Medication and mobility needs
- Favourite food and drinks
- Activities you enjoy
What Makes a Good Care Plan?
What makes a good care plan is attention to detail. Making sure that the person’s preferences are all included is the only way to make sure that their daily routine supports their needs. Personalised care keeps the individual at the centre of their own care experience, especially if it’s carried out in their own home. Being able to remain in familiar and beloved surroundings will ensure your care plan contains everything that matters to you, such as being with loved ones, pets, possessions and having favourite views out of the window. In addition, making sure that your care plan contains your complete holistic needs – which involves your physical, emotional and spiritual requirements – means that your care plan will contain everything you need in your daily life. Having such detail in your care plan means no confusion over who’s delivering your care and what each caregiver is responsible for.
What Does a Care Plan Include?
Medical and healthcare advice should be sought when you’re wondering what to include in a care plan. According to the NHS, a care plan should include “the type of support you need, how this support will be given (and) how much money your council will spend on your care.” Care and support plans include:
When care will take place
The times of day, days of the week, and place that your care will take place, such as your home, and whether you have visiting or live-in care
What matters to you
How you like to live, the people, places, pets and routines that make all the difference to your life, and the activities you like to do
Support you need
The equipment needed in your home, the medication you take, whether you can manage your personal care and toileting etc.
Emergency contacts
The numbers of the people who should be called in an emergency, plus social services and home care provider contact details
How Long Does a Care Plan Last?
Your care plan will last as long as you continue to need care and support and should be reviewed regularly. The NHS says that this needs to be done “to see what’s working and not working, and if it’s still the best support for you. This usually happens within the first few months of support starting and then once every year.” Your care plan is considered a ‘living document’, which means that it will be continually edited and updated to ensure that it is serving your needs effectively. Age UK recommends that if your care plan isn’t supporting your needs properly you should “contact the adult social services department of your council to ask for a review.” Of course, if you’re receiving care from Helping Hands, you can contact your local manager to chat about how you feel your care plan should be amended.
Tips for Creating a Care Plan
Care plans aren’t just for the person who is receiving are. There will also need to be information contained so that the people caring for you know what is expected of them. Some of the information contained in a care plan will include:
Personalised knowledge
To create a care plan takes knowledge of the person, their needs and their preferred routines. A healthcare professional will draw up your care plan, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a say in what goes into it.
Expert knowledge
Having care at home from Helping Hands means that we’ll assess you to draw up your care and support plan, an assessment which we’ll carry out in your own home or a convenient place of your choice.
Hospital discharge
If you’re being discharged from hospital your care plan may be compiled as part of your discharge plan. It will contain medication and mobility needs and any equipment needed to help you live independently.
Carer information
The care plan will include details for carers on how to carry out their role effectively. This includes how to use lifting and other equipment, details of local care support, and respite options so carers get regular breaks.
When Should a Care Plan be Reviewed?
In the first instance, a care plan will be reviewed every few weeks to check it is suitable and fulfilling your needs. This will also need to be done if the care plan is changed, after all, it is a ‘living document’ as previously mentioned. Age UK’s guidelines state, “After a new or revised care and support plan is introduced, your local council must review it within a reasonable time frame (usually 6-8 weeks). After this, your care plan should be reviewed at least once a year, but this might be more often if needed.”
Explore Expert Care Services with Helping Hands
Having care at home is the best way to achieve one-to-one personalised care, something that just isn’t possible in care homes. This is because being cared for in your own home naturally means you’re the focus of your carer’s attention, there aren’t several other people all requiring attention at the same time. Your caregivers will be guided by your care plan, telling them how to conduct your care to your own specifications and preferences. You may also be supported by family members as well as the wider community healthcare team, and your Helping Hands carer will fit seamlessly into your wider support. Talking to us about your requirements for support, whether visiting in live-in care, will ensure all of your questions are answered.
