Jonathan Gardner
CEO, Bluebird Care
Providers of in-home care need to take a personalised approach to the services they offer, with detailed and tailored care plans that meet their customers’ specific needs.
Many people who need care say they would prefer it to be delivered in their own homes, rather than a care home. “Which is completely understandable,” says Jonathan Gardner, CEO of Bluebird Care.
Personalised, attentive in-home care
“People want to be cared for in the comfort of their own home, surrounded by the things most familiar to them,” says Gardner. The challenge we face, he explains, is a tendency for in-home care services to be rather ‘cookie-cutter,’ which means the focus is on delivering tasks rather than person-centred outcomes unique to the individual who needs the care.
“What’s needed, and what is different about Bluebird Care is that we spend a lot of time talking to our customers and their families to create constantly reviewed care plans that are tailored to a person’s specific needs,” explains Gardner. “Small details can make a big difference. For example, for someone living with dementia, it can be important to cut their sandwich in the way they are familiar with.”
That may sound trivial — but it really isn’t. “It can be the difference between them eating and not eating,” he says. “All our highly trained colleagues will have an intimate understanding of each person’s plan in order to deliver the best care for them at home. They want to help customers live fulfilling lives — and they don’t want to be rushed. In fact, we work closely with Health Service Executive Ireland (HSE Ireland) to scale visits up, if and when this becomes necessary.” In some instances, live-in care is available.
People want to be cared for in
the comfort of their own home,
surrounded by the things
most familiar to them.
Nurse-led care ensures clinical professionalism
At Bluebird Care, which has offices covering the whole of the country, care is nurse-led. “Each office features a Clinical Nurse Manager who has clinical oversight of the care we provide,” says Gardner. “This brings clinical professionalism and the very best standards to the business and ensures we can move from offering supportive in-home care — such as helping people with eating, washing and bathing — into more complex care such as medicine management, catheter management and end-of-life care.”
Using the latest app technology makes it easy for carers to share notes about the care they have provided with colleagues and family members.
Choosing the right healthcare provider
Deciding on a care provider is an important moment for any family. “They’ll want to know that the provider is consistent and reliable, with healthcare assistants and nurses who are carefully checked and supervised, highly professional and dedicated,” says Gardner. “Because, ultimately, care isn’t just ‘a service.’ It should be about helping to change a loved one’s life for the better.”
