Neighbours encouraged to visit the elderly this Easter

DEVONIANS are being encouraged to visit the elderly this Easter because it can be one of the loneliest times of the year for them alongside Christmas says a domiciliary care provider (April 2019). 

Guardian Homecare, which has offices and teams in Exeter, says many older people fear they will be lonely for the break as friends and relatives often go on holiday during the four-day weekend. 

Katie Jewell, Regional Manager for Guardian Homecare, explained: “Alongside Christmas, Easter can be one of the loneliest times of the year for the elderly, which is why we’re encouraging people to check in on their elderly relatives and neighbours over the break. At Easter people take advantage of the long weekend to book two-week holidays or to get stuck into household projects and visiting elderly relatives is often forgotten.

“Our carers will still be working hard during the holiday so our service users will still be seeing a friendly face, but many others are not, and we want to change this. If you are going away it’s important to make sure any older people you know will be looked in on, so it’s a good idea to ask a friend or neighbour to do this for you.

“If you’re staying at home and working on various projects, you could make time to pop in on a relative or neighbour yourself or even have them visit you if it is possible. Easter is a great opportunity to spend time with friends and family and we want people to remember the older generation at this time. Anything you can do to put a smile on their face will be a big help.”

Guardian Homecare aims to combat social isolation and as part of its services, it provides personality matches when pairing up its carers with service users.

If carers and service users have similar interests they will be paired up, giving everyone someone they can trust and get on with on a daily-basis.

Katie added: “We are continuously working to battle social isolation. We believe providing emotional care is just as important as the physical and we are doing our upmost to make sure our service users don’t feel lonely or isolated.”

Guardian Homecare delivers personalised home care supporting people wishing to stay living safely and comfortably in their own homes in south Devon.

It says, despite the current culture of change in the fast-paced world of employment, care gives people the chance to create a worthwhile career for themselves that has longevity and security.

If people are looking for a job for life with training and career advancement opportunities, then it is one of the few sectors that can offer this, says Guardian Homecare.

It currently employs nearly 200 carers and is searching for more honest and kind-hearted individuals to help add to its teams in the county.

Anyone interested in a position should call Guardian Homecare on 01392 537090 to request an application pack or drop in at its Broadclyst office in Exeter in April during normal office hours for an informal chat.

Guardian Homecare offers training and the opportunity for internal advancement. Anyone who joins the team is creating a career path using the different qualifications they can achieve.

New recruits are given free uniforms, access to national staff discount scheme for many major brands, as well as 28 days paid holiday, paid travel between calls and paid mileage.

Katie added: “Being dependable is key to this role as people will be looking after the needs of vulnerable adults. Applicants also need to be even-tempered and caring and must enjoy making a positive difference to people’s lives. 

“Being patient, able to cope with change and having the ability to display empathy and warmth are also essential.”

Anyone wishing to find out more about Guardian Homecare and career in care, should call 01392 537090 or visit www.guardianhomecare.org.uk.