Having a new person enter the home can feel strange, even when support is welcome. The best preparation protects the person’s ordinary routine instead of turning their home into a workplace.
Before the first visit
Confirm the care plan
Check the agreed visit time, expected length and tasks. Make sure the plan includes important risks, mobility needs, communication preferences, allergies and emergency contacts. Ask who to call if a care worker is late or the person’s needs change.
Agree how the care worker will enter
Decide whether someone will answer the door or an approved key-safe arrangement is required. Share access information only through the provider’s secure process. Do not place key codes in an ordinary note outside the home.
Make the route safe, not showroom-perfect
Clear loose obstacles from the entrance and the routes used during care. Check lighting and make sure mobility equipment is available. There is no need to hide normal life or complete a deep clean.
Write down the person’s routine
A short “about me” page can help unfamiliar care workers understand the person beyond a task list. Include:
- Preferred name and how the person likes to be addressed
- Usual waking, washing, dressing and meal routine
- What the person can and wants to do independently
- Food, drink, cultural, faith and privacy preferences
- Communication needs, hearing aids, glasses or helpful phrases
- Interests, important relationships and topics the person enjoys
- Things that cause distress and what usually provides reassurance
Medication and health information
Keep medication in its normal agreed location and ensure the provider has accurate information about what support is required. Do not change containers, doses or timings to make things “easier” unless instructed through the appropriate clinical or pharmacy process.
Tell the provider about allergies and where agreed health information is kept. Sensitive records should not be left where visitors can read them.
Prepare the practical items
- Clean clothing and toiletries used during the agreed routine
- Continence products, gloves or other supplies where these form part of the plan
- Food and drinks suitable for the person’s assessed needs
- Charged hearing aids, glasses and mobility aids
- Bins, laundry arrangements and household items needed for agreed tasks
Pets, smoking and the home environment
Tell the provider about pets before visits begin, including whether an animal may become anxious around strangers. Agree a safe arrangement. Discuss smoking, oxygen, infection concerns or other environmental risks honestly so the provider can plan safely rather than discovering them during a visit.
Family involvement and privacy
Ask the person receiving care what they want family members to know and when they want privacy. A relative can be helpful during an introduction, but should not speak over the person. The care provider should record consent and communication arrangements clearly.
During the first week
- Notice whether visit times and lengths work in real life.
- Ask the person how they felt, not only whether tasks were completed.
- Share feedback early and specifically.
- Record changes in appetite, mobility, mood or routine through the agreed process.
- Request a review if the plan does not match actual needs.
Ten useful questions for the provider
- Who do we call outside office hours?
- How will we know which care worker is visiting?
- What identification will they carry?
- How are new care workers introduced?
- How are visit notes recorded and shared?
- What happens if a worker is delayed or absent?
- How do we report a change or concern?
- When will the care plan be reviewed?
- How is medication support documented?
- How do we make a complaint or compliment?
Not sure about a term used in your paperwork? Use our home care glossary. To understand local services, visit home care in Scarborough.