Caregiving decisions are never easy. At TheKey Winnipeg, we start every caregiving discussion by seeking to understand seniors on an individual. What makes them smile? Where do they struggle? And, just as importantly: what do their families worry about the most?
This insight shapes our care plans and inspires our caregivers. It allows us to personalize our caregiving to specific needs while layering a little bit of fun into every single day. For one client, that could look like a little fresh air as Winnipeg’s icy winter melts into spring. For another, it might look like cozy time indoors, listening to a custom playlist of throwback tunes.
It’s these elements that set in-home care apart for seniors who want to continue living in familiar spaces they know and love. Still, many families struggle to figure out the right approach to balancing all these priorities. At TheKey Winnipeg, we encourage folks to consider five guiding principles as they explore in-home care options:
- Hiring the right caregiver makes a world of difference. We know it takes a special kind of person to provide gold-standard care at home. “Every hiring decision we make has a direct impact on our clients and their families. That’s a responsibility we take seriously,” explains Dennis Fancy, General Manager, TheKey Winnipeg. “We’re basically hiring on behalf of families, so we take time to understand personality, personal interests and other skillsets. The more we know about the people we hire, the better positioned we’ll be to match that caregiver with the right client.”
- One-sized-fits-all approaches do not work. Whether travelling to a doctor’s appointment, taking a daily shower or putting together ingredients for a nutritious meal: our caregivers customize their focus to the specific needs of individual clients. There’s no one-sized fits all approach to aging, and we’ve designed our caregiving with that in mind. We offer one-to-one support for mobility, meal prep, transportation, medication reminders, bathing, dressing and more, adapting our routines to client’s needs and interests.
- The best caregiving never feels transactional. At TheKey, our Balanced Care MethodTM trains caregivers to focus on mind, body and spirit. We go beyond the tasks of daily living to help clients thrive comprehensively. That means creating opportunities for them to stay active, pursue interest, eat well, feel companionship and maintain a sense of purpose. Working these areas into daily routine brings an element of joy, and supports longevity overall.
- In-home care really does take a village. At TheKey, we retain our people as employees, not contractors. This allows us to alleviate a lot of the stress families can feel when recruiting and retaining caregivers on their own. Working with us, families tap into a team of well-supported employees who are vetted, trained and enabled to do an exceptional job over the long term.
- Scalability has a big impact on positive results. Schedules and routines look different from one client to the next. At TheKey, our services are flexible. We can offer personal, companion, dementia or other forms of care for just a few hours or 24/7. Says Fancy: “Every care plan we design begins with a family conversation. Once that plan is in place, the caregiver brings it to life. Our Care Team offers oversight, supporting the caregiver and liaising with the family. That continuous flow of communication and open, honest conversations allows us to adjust plans quickly, as a client’s situation evolves.”
Considering in-home dementia care or have questions about the types of support we offer? Our specialists are here to help determine the best plan to meet your parent’s or loved one’s needs. Contact TheKey today to get started.