The value of companionship during lockdown

Radfield Home Care Shrewsbury & Oswestry has been providing care for a lovely client Moyra since November 2019 with regular companionship calls within a care home setting where Moyra lives.

Sonya Cole, registered care manager for the branch explains, “Since the pandemic outbreak, when family members were unable to visit, we were asked by Moyra’s family if we could increase the visits to every day, five hours a day and we now have three fantastic care professionals, Tenneal, Camilla and Vivien regularly visiting Moyra, building a very strong bond and relationship together since lockdown.”

During the care visits, Radfield’s care professionals engage in all sorts of creative activities for Moyra to enjoy including painting, playing board games, reading poetry, listening to music and singing together. Tenneal explains, “We have been enjoying all sorts of activities with Moyra, from hand massages to reading poetry together. In fact, Moyra has commented recently that it’s like being in a spa for the day when I visit her.”

 

Moyra has three sons and a daughter, all living in different parts of the country and as far away as Vancouver Island, and since the Covid-19 outbreak, it has been a real challenge for the family, as the regular enjoyable visits have not been allowed.

Moyra’s son Marcellus explained, “Mum has been in a residential home in Shrewsbury for over two years now, where she benefits from the extra support and care which she requires following the onset of vascular dementia and mobility problems.”

“Mum has always been active mentally and physically. She used to love getting out for walks in the country, writing poetry and listening to music – and was also an amazing artist. Therefore, we were very conscious that we wanted her to continue with the things she loved doing following the move to the residential home. That is why we approached Radfield Home Care. The Radfield team not only provides companionship to Mum but also enables her to continue to enjoy doing the activities which she has always loved and which are so important to her happiness and wellbeing.”

“The Radfield care team are all amazing and so professional. Frankly, they have been Mum’s guardian angels during the lockdown and have enabled the family to continue to feel involved in Mum’s life at a time when visits have had to be suspended for the safety of staff and residents. The Radfield team has become an extension of our family and we communicate daily with Sonya, the registered care manager for the branch. Sonya is actually on our family WhatsApp group and we love receiving her daily photos of the activities Mum has been enjoying with the care professionals. Mum always looks so happy. Sonya also lets us know if Mum is running out of things such as art books and toothpaste and is incredibly responsive to calls.”

“The family is very grateful to the Radfield team. Not only do they provide an all-encompassing service to Mum but it is a great reassurance to all of us to know that they are there providing essential one-on-one company for Mum and enabling her to continue to enjoy the poetry, art and music that has always been such a huge part of her life.”

If you would like to find out more about Radfield Home Care and the care support services offered, you can visit www.radfieldhomecare.co.uk or [email protected] or 01743 245 555.