Guides · For families · 4 min read
The first week of home care, day by day
What actually happens between the first phone call and the first quiet Sunday, and how to make the start go smoothly.
By the Wrenmoor senior care team ·
Starting care is a big step for everyone in the family, and the first week sets the tone. Here is what a typical start with us looks like.
Before the first visit
After the free home visit we send a care plan: the visits, the times, what happens at each one and the weekly price. Read it with the person who will receive the care. If something sounds wrong, it probably is, so tell us and we will change it.
Your regular carers then come round with the senior carer for a short hello. It means the first real visit is from someone who has already sat in the kitchen.
The first two days
Expect visits to run a little long while the carer learns where things are. That is normal and we do not charge for it. Leave a note of anything that matters: the tea in the pot not a bag, the back door that sticks, the neighbour who has a key.
Midweek
This is when people tend to wobble. Someone who agreed to care can decide on Wednesday that they do not need it. Carers are used to this. Usually the answer is to slow down, do less for them and more with them, and keep coming.
The end of the week
The senior carer will ring you to ask how it is going. Be honest. Most plans change a little in the first fortnight: a visit moved to fit the bus to the day centre, a lunchtime visit added because the cooking was not happening.
A few things that help
- Put the care plan folder somewhere obvious, like the kitchen table.
- Tell neighbours and regular visitors that carers will be coming.
- Keep the medication in one place, with the chart from the pharmacy.
- Ring the office with any worry, however small. That is what it is there for.
By the end of the first month most families tell us the visits feel like part of the week rather than an intrusion. Some tell us they wish they had called sooner.
