Having a pet of any kind can really make a home and if you’re living alone, it can provide all important companionship. A pet also brings many benefits such as stress relief, reducing anxiety, providing unconditional love, and never being judgmental.

For those with dementia, these very qualities of a pet can be just the right companionship they need. It has been widely written that the very presence of a pet reduces the effects of dementia symptoms such as anxiety, agitation, irritability, depression, and loneliness. It has been seen to of helped mood and communication as well.

Research conducted by Purdue University in the US looked at links to the increased nutritional intake of those with Alzheimer’s and pets. The study tracked 60 individuals with Alzheimer’s. Nursing Professor Nancy Edwards found that patients who were exposed to the fish tanks appeared to be more relaxed and alert, and they ate up to 21% more food than they had before the introduction of the fish tanks. The average increase in food consumption was 17.2%.*

The study also showed a decrease in the number of instances and the duration of behaviours such as wandering, pacing, yelling, and physical aggression.

For those that have pets they become a much-loved member of the family and when the time comes when someone needs some support in day-to-day living, to be able to stay with your beloved pet in your own home removes the anxiety of separation providing comfort and consistency.

If you or your loved one would like more information about our live-in care service call us on 01453 839290 to speak to a member of our team or complete our online form.

* Source: Purdue study: Aquariums may pacify Alzheimer’s patients

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For the last few weeks, our team has been raising funds for our charity of the year Air Ambulances UK.

Colleagues Sonia, Estelle, Carly, and Chris from Trinity Homecare and Steve from Corinium Care took on the challenge of running the London Landmarks Half Marathon together. The team did amazingly and managed to raise a very impressive £1,730. We are so proud of the team a couple were seasoned runners and others running was completely new to them.

Our second fundraiser took place just before Easter we launched a raffle with a range of prizes being donated by staff, which included a hospital Lego set, one with its very own air ambulance, champagne, perfume, spa gift sets, hampers, and shopping vouchers. We also received a very kind donation of a handbag from a local fashion boutique Styled Right. Support staff and carers were offered the opportunity to buy raffle tickets online for £1 a ticket.

The raffle winners were drawn yesterday and notified of their fabulous prizes. Thank you to all our team members who donated prizes and purchased tickets and Sammy Wright owner of Styled Right for her donation. We managed to raise £307.

We will continue our efforts to support and raise funds for Air Ambulances UK.

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On returning to the UK Jane didn’t want the stress of working as a full-time teacher so she tried supply teaching and working as a teaching assistant but it wasn’t what she wanted. By chance Jane saw a job working with a young blind woman who needed support at college as well as some personal care. Jane thoroughly enjoyed the experience and decided her perfect role would be a carer. Jane had spoken to a friend that was working as a live-in carer for Corinium Care and after hearing about the work and the company she asked her friend to put her in touch.

Jane was a painter so wanted to find a job that provided her with the time to enable her to get back into her art as well as giving her more time to spend with family, particularly her grandchildren. Working as a live-in carer two weeks on and two weeks off provides her with the ideal work-life balance.

On her change of career Jane said:

“The changeover in career from teaching to care work has provided me with more flexibility in my life and has reduced the pressures I had in teaching. It’s a fantastic job and way of life.”

Jane said of her first live in care assignment:

“It was really challenging but I found it in incredible. The client I cared for was the first woman to gain a Chemistry Degree. My second assignment was for a Lord in the West Country; it was so interesting to see another way of life and he was such a lovely person. I feel each live-in assignment I have had has enabled me to personally grow and I have found it a rewarding experience. I have a great bond with the Care Manager. They have got to know me too and match my skills with clients as well as provide me with support when I need it.”

To find out more about becoming a live-in carer visit our jobs pages or if you or a loved one are interested in fully managed live-in care visit our live-in care page.

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We continually strive to invest in our people and provide opportunities for them to develop their skills and grow their careers with us.

Supporting this aim, we have signed up our first intake of apprentices, we are supporting five apprentices on their learning and development journeys. We have three carers looking to achieve Adult Care Worker – Level 2 Apprenticeship, one Senior Visiting Carer working towards Lead Adult Care Worker – Level 3 Apprenticeship and a Care Manager on a Level 5 Leader in Adult Care Apprenticeship.

Apprenticeships are real jobs that allow apprentices to earn a wage while they learn whilst gaining help from an organisation to launch an exciting career.

The apprenticeships involve a mixture of on-the-job training and theory-based online training, with apprentices typically committing to 12 months to accomplish their qualification.

We are so excited to be supporting our apprentices and we look to expand our current scheme in the future.

The post Celebrating National Apprenticeship Week 2023 appeared first on Corinium Care.

Supporting a loved one with dementia can be challenging, but there are several things you can do to help. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Be patient and understanding. Dementia can cause confusion and memory loss, so try to be patient when your loved one repeats themselves or forgets things.
2. Help them maintain a routine. People with dementia may find comfort in a regular schedule, so try to help them stick to a routine for meals, activities, and bedtimes.
3. Keep the environment safe. Dementia can also cause changes in a person’s mobility and judgment, so it is important to make sure their living space is safe, free of tripping hazards, and easy to navigate.
4. Provide emotional support. Dementia can be an emotional and isolating experience, so make sure to provide your loved one with love, companionship, and emotional support.
5. Encourage them to stay active. Keeping their body and mind active through activities like exercise, music and arts can help slow the progression of dementia.
6. Educate yourself on dementia and its care. The more you know about the disease, the better equipped you’ll be to help your loved one and understand what they are going through. We have a free Guide to Dementia that tells you everything you need to know about the disease.
7. Remember to take care of yourself as well. Being a caregiver can be emotional and physically taxing, make sure to find support for yourself.

Supporting a loved one with dementia can be a difficult task, but with the right approach and resources, it can be manageable. One option to consider is hiring a professional live-in care provider like Corinium Care to assist with your loved one’s care. We can provide support with tasks such as maintaining a regular schedule, keeping the environment safe, providing emotional support, encouraging physical activity and overall care of your loved one. Additionally, it is important to educate yourself on dementia and remember to take care of yourself as well.

The post How to Support Parents Living With Dementia appeared first on Corinium Care.

We received so many wonderful card entries from both clients and carers. It was difficult to choose a winner. However, we could only have one winner and the card we chose was by Bronwyn, one of our amazing live-in carers. The endearing elf made everyone smile and everyone agreed that this was just what Corinium wanted for carers and clients when they received our Christmas card.

Congratulations, Bronwyn! Your watercolour painting is this year’s Corinium Care’s Christmas card!

Keep an eye on our Facebook page to see some of the other beautiful festive entries from our carers and clients.

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Corinium carer and client, Mrs J, both share a love of decorations and Halloween. So as an activity to do together they decided to decorate the outside of Mrs J’s house. The client’s dog enjoyed the outside fun too.

Mrs J and her live-in carer Annabelle enjoyed planning what they were going to do, choosing decorations, and putting the decorations up together.

Our carers are on hand to help with personal care such as bathing and toileting as well as household duties such as cooking, cleaning and shopping, and to generally help make their client’s life as rich as possible. This can even include walking the dog and looking after a much-loved cat.

Most of all, our live-in carers are always there to provide companionship and peace of mind; our carers look after our clients with the same compassion as they would a member of their own family. We always aim to match a client and carer with similar interests and hobbies so they can enjoy some activities together.

We are always happy to create a care plan personally tailored to suit your needs.

To find out more information about our care services please call 01453 839290, email info@coriniumcare.com, or submit our online form.

The post Mrs J and Carer Annabelle’s Halloween Capers appeared first on Corinium Care.

Andrew Needham, CEO, is elected to the Board of the Homecare Association as non-executive director

We are very pleased to announce and congratulate our CEO Andrew Needham who has been elected to sit on the board of the Homecare Association as a non-executive director. Andrew was one of six new non-executive directors to be elected by members at the Homecare Associations annual general meeting which took place on 12 October 2022 in Birmingham.

The Homecare Association has about 2300 members nationally and takes a lead in shaping homecare in the UK, in collaboration with partners across the care sector, and provides hands-on support and practical tools for its members.

The association’s main focus is to support homecare providers by assisting them to grow and develop the workforce and innovate, in turn enabling people to live well at home, extend healthy life expectancy, reduce inequalities, take pressure off the NHS and reduce costs for the health and care system.

Andrew Needham on his new election to the board said:

“It is an immense privilege to be elected a non-executive director of the Homecare Association by members. The Homecare Association make a vital contribution to the sector which is much needed during the current challenges the care industry faces alongside the ongoing cost of living crisis. I very much look forward to working with the rest of the board and supporting the ongoing work they undertake.”

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The most well-known names in the social care industry attended the National Conference Centre in Birmingham last night (Tuesday 11 October) to celebrate the 2022 Leaders in Care Awards.  Including our Director of Care, Melony Fairchild who was nominated for the Executive of the Year. Also attending was our recently appointed CEO Andrew Needham along with Lee Hutchings and Ali Lelacheur.

The award ceremony saw over 300 care professional and high-level executives from leading providers and suppliers attend one of prestigious events in the social care calendar. The industry came together to celebrate its achievements in driving care and innovation.

Although Mel was pipped to the post to win the Executive of the Year award she said:

“What a wonderful evening to share with teams from all different providers and suppliers celebrating the achievements of so many well deserving individuals within the care sector. I was very honoured to be shortlisted for the award appearing next to some key players within the industry. The evening certainly made me proud to be part of a hardworking, caring and pivotal service for the community.”

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Sandy a Corinium Carer renowned for going the extra mile would enjoy listening to the Mr E’s childhood stories from growing up in Wales. Moving away from Wales when he was of working age. Mr E would often say how he would love to go back to his birthplace and see how much the area had changed.

Sandy, a very diligent and caring carer, always ensures any concerns or changing needs are reported immediately and efficiently building a great rapport with all the clients she cares for. This occasion was no different and as well as getting to know Mr E she got to know his family too. The family were very fond of Sandy too, always inviting her to any family events where she always received compliments on what a wonderful job she was doing.

After hearing of how Mr E wished to make a visit to Wales to see where he was born, Sandy set to start planning a trip to Wales for a few days.

Mr E was so grateful to Sandy for making his dream come true – Mr E said:

“I can’t believe that Sandy made it possible for me to visit where I was raised. We had an absolutely great time.”

Corinium Care provides a quality, award-winning live-in care service in England where high standards and compassion matter the most and where the personal touch is at the heart of all we do.

All our carers are carefully selected and benefit from Corinium Care’s own award-winning training programme. They come from all walks of life but share a caring nature and a desire to make their client feel safe and comfortable in their own home.

For further information on our in-home care services or speak to someone about yours or your loved one’s care needs please contact us on 01453 839290 or enquire online.

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