Short Break Stories

Tagsa Uibhist Respite Care Home

A story by Doigheag Respite Care Home

Tagsa Uibhist are now providing a personalised respite support service within our unique respite care cottage.

The service is registered as a care home but we strive to keep it as homely as possible making sure there is flexible times for meals and people do not need to go to bed an get up before they are ready. Carers can book 1 week or a few days depending on what they need.

What Tagsa Uibhist Respite Care Home did

Doigheag Respite Care Home was really busy throughout 2014 to early 2015. We had people booking and staying for short breaks ongoing, since the end of May this year we have not been so busy and we had no bookings for June at all. We did provide 1 week 24 hour respite at home for a lady with dementia, her husband had not been able to have a break since his wife developed dementia in 2013. He was really delighted with the care his wife received and the family dog! He would be contacting us again for another break later in the year, his wife is happier and more settled at home and he felt this respite support at home was really suitable and flexible to accommodate his wife's needs.

July and August 2015 we had 3 people supported in our respite cottage. One person had not stayed with us before and he really enjoyed the break and said he would be coming back later in the year. During his break with us he also had friends coming round to take him out for lunch or dinner or to see a concert / mobile cinema. He really enjoyed getting out and was delighted with the flexibility of the support he could get.

Mrs M had never accessed respite before and had been in and out of hospital for a number of months. Mrs M had returned home but was not able to cope at home alone. Her family requested if she could access respite support for 2 weeks until a decision was made if care staff could be found for her to go home her mobility had deteriorated meaning she required 2 staff to assist and this was extremely difficult to source in the community.

Mrs M was very comfortable with us during her stay and had been looking forward to going home. There was a case review on the following Tuesday with her social worker and local authority home care staff were in place to commence her care at home support service. However Mrs M became very unwell and went into a semi coma. The doctor visited and gave a diagnoses that Mrs M would not recover the family were all present at the time of the doctors visit.

The family requested that Mrs M stay within our respite care home until she passed away Mrs M was the only person staying with us at the time the family were clearly upset but they felt they had family privacy and peacefulness for Mrs M's final hours.

Mr J had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Mr J was quite well at first coming into our care home but took unwell on the second day of being with us. Family were informed and community nurses and Macmillan nurses came in to see Mr J he was prescribed a stronger medication to alleviate his symptoms.

Mr J recovered the next day and was much brighter and able to communicate clearly. Mr J enjoyed his respite stay with us and returned home after 1 week.
The family felt able to continue caring for him after the respite and they appreciated the break.
Mrs A is a lady of 93 years old and lives in her own home with support from family during the day. Mrs A had been to other care homes for respite but did not like them. When she arrived with her family she really liked the small homely feel of the place and immediately felt relaxed as if she was at home. Mrs A even had her favourite chair beside the window. Mrs A has visual impairment and sitting beside the window gave her more natural light to be able to see.

Mrs A really enjoyed her 2 week stay and would definitely be coming back. Mrs A's other family members visited and also neighbours and friends. The main family carer had a really good break and got to visit her daughter and grandchildren who all live in England.

What Doigheag Respite Care Home has learned

To be as flexible as possible within our regulated service. To support family members to feel they are able to support and care for the person.
Top tips Doigheag Respite Care Home's top tips for an organisation that wants to run a similar project
Tip 1:
Get good research on level of need and number of people requiring support. Establish a good reputation and develop care staff roles within the service development and promotion to people living in their own communities.
Tip 2:
Give people options of flexibility in using the allocated weeks. i.e spread out over the year or in weekend breaks.
Tip 3:
Promote and market your service well and have open days and ceilidhs.

"The services are great for me it makes me feel better in myself and gives me something to look forward to every week. I couldn't do without it I would be a prisoner in my own home."

Service User

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