Right at Home chosen by hospice

When it comes to delivering home care services, a local provider is leading the way in a pioneering partnership with St Catherine’s Hospice.

Right At Home (Chorley) have been designated the domiciliary carers of choice by the Hospice for Chorley, South Ribble and beyond.

The Chorley-based company, in tandem with St Catherines, is rolling out an initiative aimed at helping patients, many with life-shortening illnesses, to enjoy more independence and stay at home longer. The service is available to the general public and you don’t need to be a patient of St Catherine’s to use it. Those who are eligible can claim statutory funding.

Mary Saward, registered care manager of Right at Home, explained: “All our specialist training is done through St Catherine’s. I believe they saw and approved of the quality of palliative provision we are able to offer. Our experience enables us to provide a flexible, sensitive, effective bespoke package of support not just for each individual, but also for their families which is vital at this stage.

“I suppose, unlike the main specialised care provided by the Hospice which is delivered free, price was also a factor. The Homecare Partnership – many of our St Catherines referrals have never actually stayed in the hospice itself – is a domiciliary paid-for service and keeping prices reasonable is important.”

With specialist carers on the books, Right at Home staff are able to respond very quickly to individual needs. Mary said: “It’s crucial that we react immediately with a planned programme of support that is appropriate. As preferred providers working with St Catherines, we work very hard to quickly build relationships. I know from personal experience how important it is to get palliative care right. People in an ‘end of life’ situation must be listened to and their wishes upheld as much as possible.

“It’s an exceptional team effort. Not only do we support the patients and their families referred to us by the hospice, but also our own staff. You can imagine certain situations are extremely challenging, traumatic and heart-breaking at times. That said, we are dedicated, all our managers are ‘hands-on’ and helping people like this can be extremely rewarding.”

Right at Home owner Mark Booker, added: “We are delighted to be the preferred domiciliary care provider for St Catherine’s Hospice. We are available for care 24/7 and we offer a ‘four hours free trial’ scheme to enable potential clients to sample the quality of service.” As well as supporting hospice patients to return to their own home, Right at Home’s services include cleaning, cooking or meal preparation, escorting clients to the shops, medical appointments or social excursions, as well as companionship.