Blood pressure checks in the comfort of your own home

Blood pressure checks in the comfort of your home

Keeping track of your blood pressure can be an important part of looking after your health and wellbeing.

For some people, having their blood pressure checked at a GP surgery or pharmacy is straightforward. For others, getting out of the house, travelling to an appointment or waiting to be seen can be more difficult.

That’s where having a blood pressure check at home can help.

At Bluebird Care Barking & Dagenham, our trained Care Professionals can carry out blood pressure checks in the familiar surroundings of your own home. Whether you need a one-off reading or regular checks as part of your agreed care and support, we can talk with you about what you need.

You can stay somewhere you feel comfortable while a trained Care Professional carries out the check and records your reading.

Why keep track of your blood pressure?

Blood pressure is one of the measurements that can help healthcare professionals understand how your heart and circulation are working.

You may have been asked by your GP or another healthcare professional to have your blood pressure checked regularly. Or you may simply need support with taking readings at home.

Whatever the reason, keeping a record of your readings can provide useful information that you can share with the appropriate healthcare professional when needed.

For some people, arranging regular trips outside the home for these checks isn’t always convenient. Reduced mobility, recovery from an illness or operation, or difficulty travelling independently can all make getting to a GP surgery or pharmacy more challenging.

Having your blood pressure checked at home means the reading can be taken somewhere familiar, without an additional journey.

What happens during a blood pressure check?

Our Care Professionals use appropriate blood pressure equipment to take your reading.

We’ll explain what we’re doing and give you time to get comfortable before the check takes place. Your reading can then be recorded in line with your agreed care arrangements.

There’s no need to rush. We want you to feel comfortable and understand what is happening throughout the visit.

Depending on your agreed care and support, blood pressure readings can also be recorded so that changes can be followed over time and relevant information can be shared with your GP or another healthcare professional where appropriate.

How we can support you

Depending on your individual needs and agreed care arrangements, our Blood Pressure Checks service can include:

• Taking your blood pressure using appropriate equipment
• Recording your blood pressure readings
• Providing regular checks where these form part of your agreed care and support
• Carrying out the check in the comfort of your own home
• Providing support from a trained Care Professional
• Helping you keep relevant readings available to share with your GP or another healthcare professional where appropriate

Before providing the service, our team can talk with you about what you need, how often checks may be required and any instructions that have been provided by your healthcare professional.

One-off or regular blood pressure checks

Everyone’s circumstances are different.

You may need a single blood pressure check, or your GP or another healthcare professional may have asked you to keep a record of readings over a period of time.

If regular checks are needed, we can discuss how these may fit around your existing care and support arrangements.

Our role is to help with taking and recording your blood pressure readings. We won’t diagnose a condition, interpret your results as a healthcare professional or make changes to your medication.

If you have been given instructions by your GP or another healthcare professional about your blood pressure, these should continue to be followed.

Supporting your health and wellbeing at home

Looking after your wellbeing at home can involve many small things.

For some people, that might mean support with meals, medication or personal care. For others, it may include keeping track of health measurements that their healthcare team has asked them to record.

Blood pressure checks can form part of that wider support.

Having a trained Care Professional visit your home means you can receive practical help while remaining somewhere familiar and comfortable.

It’s part of the way we support people at Bluebird Care Barking & Dagenham: helping you continue living at home while receiving the care and support that works for you.

When a reading needs further attention

Our Blood Pressure Checks service is there to help take and record your readings. It does not replace advice, assessment, diagnosis or treatment from a qualified healthcare professional.

If a reading or your general wellbeing gives cause for concern, our Care Professionals will follow the appropriate agreed procedures and seek further support where required.

If you have questions about what your blood pressure reading means, changes to medication or treatment for high or low blood pressure, you should speak with your GP or another appropriate healthcare professional.

This means there is a clear distinction between the practical support our Care Professionals provide and the medical advice and treatment provided by your healthcare team.

Who could benefit from blood pressure checks at home?

Our service may be helpful for people who need support taking their blood pressure at home.

This could include older people, those with reduced mobility, people recovering from an illness or hospital stay, or anyone who finds regular trips to a GP surgery or pharmacy difficult.

It may also be useful if a healthcare professional has asked you to keep a record of your blood pressure and you would feel more comfortable having someone trained to help take the readings.

Whatever your circumstances, we’ll talk with you about the support you need before the service begins.

Reassurance for you and your family

When someone you love needs a little extra help looking after their health at home, it’s natural to want to know they have the right support around them.

Family members may not always live nearby or be available when a blood pressure reading needs to be taken.

Knowing that a trained Care Professional can provide the agreed support at home can offer welcome reassurance.

For the person receiving support, it also means being able to stay in familiar surroundings while receiving practical help with something that might otherwise be difficult to manage alone.

Arrange a blood pressure check at home

If you or someone you love could benefit from blood pressure checks at home, our friendly team at Bluebird Care Barking & Dagenham can talk you through the service and answer your questions.

We’ll take the time to understand what support is required and discuss how blood pressure checks may fit around your individual care arrangements.

Whether you need a one-off check or regular readings as part of your agreed care and support, we’re here to help you feel comfortable at home while keeping track of an important part of your wellbeing.

Get in touch with Bluebird Care Barking & Dagenham to find out more about our Blood Pressure Checks service.

Call us: 0208 5911 200
Email: BarkingandDagenham@bluebirdcare.co.uk