Testimonials

Live in Care – Dementia

Irene and Jackie

Irene  was a retired teacher who lived in a rural village just outside Easingwold.  Irene had a vascular dementia diagnosis, and unfortunately the illness progressed quickly, resulting in her being unable to communicate or make her own decisions.

Irene loved living in her own bungalow with it’s pretty rose garden, however she needed extensive support with everyday living such as meals, medication and personal care.  

Irene’s  daughter Jackie lived nearby, but did not feel comfortable providing personal care for her Mum. She also had a young family and was not in a position to move in with her Mum. When Irene was found by neighbours wandering outside at night, it became clear she urgently needed support.  She had a short period in residential care, but found this confusing and distressing. She refused to eat and ended up in hospital.

Desperately worried about her Mum’s safety, Jackie contacted Bluebird Care, who were quickly able to find an experienced dementia live in carer, who could look after Irene during the day, and ensure she stayed safe overnight.  Bluebird Care’s live in  service allowed Irene to  remain in the familiarity of her own home and garden for over five years, with the continuity of care which is so vital with dementia.

Said Jackie “The Bluebird Care live in carers were perfectly matched to my Mum’s needs and personality. I could enjoy spending time with my Mum just as her daughter, leaving tasks such as personal care to a professional .  This was so reassuring for the whole family, and meant my Mum had the best possible quality of life throughout her dementia journey.”

Live In Care – Serious Illness

Andrea and Jeff

Andrea and Jeff were in their early sixties when they retired from successful careers in local government, and moved to a secluded riverbank house in the Yorkshire Dales. They planned to spend their time hiking and visiting local museums, both of which were their passions.

Unfortunately, Andrea became unwell, and after several months of tests, was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND).  There is, as yet, no cure for this cruel illness, and the couple had to receive the heartbreaking news that Andrea’s condition was terminal.  Over the course of the next two years, Andrea’s mobility, speech and ability to swallow sadly declined.

A strong willed lady, Andrea had informed her husband and adult children after her diagnosis that she intended to stay in her own home, and would only “leave my house in a box”.  This was an incredibly difficult time for the whole family, and Andrea’s children, who lived in the South of England, reached out to Bluebird Care for support.

After several chats with Andrea and her family, we put live in care into place with a small, highly trained   team of live in carers. Andrea’s carers ensured at all time that she could stay safely at home and enjoy every day activities such as visiting friends and local attractions, for as long as possible. The live-in carers liaised with family and other health care professionals, including the MND unit at James Cook University Hospital, in order to ensure that Andrea’s needs were met at all times, as her care entered the end of life pathway.  

When Andrea finally passed away, it was she had wished, quietly and peacefully in her own home, surrounded by her family, and with her regular carer at hand to help.

Our involvement with the family did not end there, as over the subsequent eighteen months, we assisted them in collating evidence in their appeal proceedings for backdated CHC funding for Andrea’s care, an appeal which was ultimately successful.

Said Andrea’s daughter Sarah, “Your company was the glue which held us together as a family. We will never be able to thank you enough for everything you did, for Mum and for us.”

Live in Care – Extra Rural areas

Marjorie

Marjorie was a retired farmer in her eighties  who had never married and lived in a very remote farmhouse in a small hamlet on the moors between Thirsk and Helmsley. She had very helpful neighbours but all worked long days in farming or had full time caring responsibilities. 

After a fall and hospital admission, Marjorie was advised that, moving forward, she would need four domiciliary care calls a day to assist with personal care, medication and meals.  However, due to the isolated location of Marjorie’s home, this would not have been a viable care package due to travel time, particularly in the winter when Marjorie’s village was often snowed in. 

When Marjorie contacted Bluebird Care, we visited her home for a chat, and offered her the option of a live-in care package on a “no obligation” trial basis for two weeks.  Marjorie agreed, and this was to be the start of a six year partnership with our company. 

Marjorie’s live-in carers stayed on a long term basis, as she did not like to “chop and change” her care team. We were able to facilitate this by carefully matching available carers to meet Marjorie’s needs. 

As well as supporting Marjorie with personal care, meals, medication prompts, shopping,  laundry and housework, the carers enjoyed spending  quality time with Marjorie, listening to her stories from her farming career and watching horseracing with her. 

Said Marjorie “The carers keep me safe and  I enjoy their company. They seem to know when to give me some space and when I feel like a chat. Having a live in carer takes a bit of getting used to at the beginning, but I wouldn’t be without the girls now”.

Live in Care – Respite and Recuperation

June and George

June and her husband George lived in a cottage in Easingwold near York. June had been George’s full time carer since his Parkinson’s disease had badly affected his mobility, resulting in him being unable to leave their home.

June originally contacted Bluebird Care for block home care visits for George. Once in place, these visits   enabled June to pop into York and go shopping or have lunch with her friends twice a week.  This time was important for June as she could relax and switch off for a while, knowing that George was in the safe hands of a highly trained Bluebird Care professional.

When June’s sister offered to take her on holiday for a longer break, June contacted us for a chat about a respite live in care package.  We were delighted to help, and two months later, we arranged for one of our lovely live in carers to keep George safe at home around the clock, whilst his wife enjoyed a well-earned two week break in the sunshine.

Said June  “This was just the break I needed, and it was so reassuring to know that George was safe and being cared for.”

Alice

Alice was in her late fifties, and living alone in her apartment in Richmond, North Yorkshire when she had a nasty fall in the kitchen. Having been taken to hospital by ambulance, Alice then needed a complex foot operation, which meant that she would not be able to weight bear for a month.

When Alice was ready to be discharged, the hospital advised that she would need to go into a care home for the four weeks, however Alice did not feel that was a suitable option for her, particularly as she had a cat.  After receiving a call from the ward, we visited Alice and discussed our temporary live in care home from hospital packages, which are 2-6 weeks in duration, with flexible end dates. After Bluebird Care liaised with the ward and the Patient Transport Service, Alice was discharged to her home within twenty four hours with a live in carer available to support her – and her cat - as she recovered over the next four weeks.

Said Alice   “After a very tiring and painful time in hospital, I just wanted to rest and get better in my own home. A big thank you to Bluebird Care for making this happen so quickly.”

Live in Care – For couples

Tim and Sylvie

Tim and Sylvie were in their late eighties, and lived in their own bunglalow in a very rural area with no public transport. They had been married for an amazing sixty four years, however had  not been able to have children, so literally had no living friends or relatives.

When Sylvie fell ill with cancer, Tim became her carer, but as time went on it became clear he was struggling to cope. He was showing signs of memory loss, and his driving licence was withdrawn, owing to  a number of accidents he had whilst taking Sylvie to hospital appointments and doing the weekly shop. This was extremely stressful for Tim, who loved driving, and indeed had owned a series of classic cars.

As Sylvie’s illness progressed, a concerned neighbour contacted the local authority, who advised that Sylvie should go into a nursing home, and Tim into a care home, owing to their differing needs. Heartbroken, the couple asked the neighbour, Gavin, to look into other options, as they did not wish to be separated after all their years together.

When Bluebird Care were contacted by Gavin,  we were quickly able to put in an experienced live in carer to care for both Tim and Sylvie around the clock. This meant that they could safely stay in their beloved home together, whilst having all their care needs met.  After liaising with the local authority, we were able to secure some funding for the couple, as it was accepted that, as well as being much more person-centred, live in care was also more cost-effective than two separate residential homes.

As well as providing personal care, medication, and nutritious home cooked meals, the live in carer could liaise with other health care professionals,  take Sylvie and Tim out in the community as needed, and  keep on top of tasks such as house work and laundry.

When Sylvie eventually passed away at home, the live in carer stayed in place to support Tom through the bereavement, and remained there with him for the rest of his life.

Said Gavin “Tim and Sylvie had had a long and very happy marriage, and to be separated after decades would have been completely traumatising for them both.  Bluebird Care ensured that their wishes were respected and that they could remain safely together at home”.