Our Care Services
Our national homecare provision for adults and children ranges from respite care to live-in care; from brain and spinal injury care to services for clients with dementia; and from complex 24/7 life-sustaining support to social care and companionship.
We have a large pool of experienced client care staff who we can select from to find the right local carer to support your needs. Our services are available across England and Wales.
Your options for choosing care
Our homecare service offers nursing care, social care, and support provided by experienced nurses, healthcare assistants, and care professionals. We offer a high-quality service, tailored to your individual needs.
We can provide you and your family with advice about the associated costs depending on the option you choose. A member of our team will visit you and carry out a full assessment of your care needs. This will give us an opportunity to get to know you and understand any personal preferences you may have and what’s important to you. We’ll then recommend the level of care you will require.
To gain a full understanding of your care requirements and ensure all aspects of your care are arranged, we can liaise with your family and any relevant medical professionals.
Nurse management
All our clinical care packages are managed by a nurse with expertise specific to your care needs. The nurse will ensure that your care service is regularly reviewed and managed effectively. If you have any concerns, you can contact the branch nurse directly to discuss these further.
Local expertise and knowledge
With a network of offices located across England and Wales, we can offer a national service whilst maintaining local expertise and knowledge. We operate 24-hours a day, seven days a week, so if you have any concerns at any time of the day, there will always be someone you can speak to.
We understand that your care needs can change, which is why we offer several flexible care options which you can select based on your individual requirements. You can either choose one of the options below, or combine more than one to get the necessary level of care.
24-hour care
Our nurses and care professionals can visit your home on a rota basis during the day and night, covering the whole 24-hour period, ensuring that your needs are attended to.
Live-in care
Our live-in care service provides you with continuity of care from a nurse or care professioal who will live in your home and provide you with up to 12-hours of care per day. We understand that having someone share your home can be a very personal matter. For this reason, we ensure that all our live-in care staff are fully briefed on your expectations and personal preferences. Your carer will require their own bedroom and provision for meals. They will provide all their own personal items.
Daily visits
From shorter visits through to a full day, we can offer support with all aspects of daily living. A minimum visit length is dependent on your location and the level of care you need.
Night Care
Our sleeping night service is designed for those who may only require a limited amount of care throughout the night, whilst having peace of mind that someone is there.
If your care needs are greater and you require a substantial level of support during the night, our waking night service may be the most suitable option for you. During a waking night, your care professional will be awake and alert throughout the night to meet your care needs.
Academic Support
Being a student is one of the most exciting times of your life. You are making that transition into adulthood, gaining precious independence and experience to stand you in good stead for the rest of your life.
Advantage Healthcare Academic Support service is here for those who require a little extra support, or have complex care requirements, whilst undertaking higher education. This service will help you to enjoy and make the most of your time at college or university.
We can provide academic support in most situations, covering long and short-term, live-in care or daily care. Advantage Healthcare nurses, healthcare assistants and support workers are carefully selected to ensure their skills are well suited to your personality and care needs.
We believe that students benefit from receiving individual care and support in their higher education years. Taking part in social events with friends, cinema trips and all the usual activities that students can enjoy will improve your general health and physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing.
Academic Support is available nationally and will be organised by a local team.
Autism Spectrum Support
Advantage Healthcare supports adults, young people and children on the Autistic Spectrum. We have reliable and experienced support care staff who are trained to deliver the highest standards of care to clients.
We recognise that every person is an individual and for those on the Autistic Spectrum the degree of support required will vary enormously from one client to another. Our local team will work with you and your loved ones create an individual care package and ensure you enjoy a safe and structured environment. Our care staff are chosen for their excellent communication and care skills and they will focus on helping clients to feel valued, secure and happy and to achieve wellbeing and grow in confidence.
Through care in your own home, Advantage Healthcare’s experienced nurses and assistants will provide encouragement and help you to access your local community. Our care routines will be developed with you to support you and help you to achieve your personal goals.
What is included in our Autism Support Services?
Advantage Healthcare packages are developed and managed by our client care managers who will establish and adjust the care provided as your needs change. We strive to help each person achieve their own aspirations in life whilst recognising and understanding that life itself can pose many challenges which some may find more testing than others.
It is important that all our clients are able to build trusting, long-lasting relationships with their carers and our autism service carers will be trained appropriately according to continuous assessment of your care needs.
Personal Care & Daily Living Tasks
Promoting independence is of paramount importance and we will work with you to increase your own skills, provide encouragement and take guidance from you as our client and those closest to you.
Communication
Communication is essential to building a positive and trusting relationship and our carers are experienced in all kinds of communication for people on the Autistic spectrum.
Brain Injury Care
One in five of our clients have brain and spinal conditions. Our brain injuries support often includes help with personal care, feeding, hoisting and ventilation, tracheostomy care and medication.
Acquired brain injuries
The most common effect on an individual with an acquired brain injury, whether subtle or severe, will be changes to their everyday behaviour. To help each individual to return to living as full a life as possible following their injury, we work with multi-disciplinary care teams and incorporate their rehabilitation management plans to complement our own. Our aim is to equip the client and their family with the right tools to help them to cope with the changes in their lives.
We can support clients in the transition from hospital to home, be that returning to their own home or moving in with close family. To help clients to continue making progress, we will design a bespoke and structured support plan with guidance and input from therapists and other healthcare professionals.
Acquired and traumatic brain injury assessments
Advantage Healthcare will carry out a comprehensive assessment on all of our brain and spinal injury clients and focus on their requirements, abilities, clinical needs, hopes and desires.
Our staff will help each client to achieve their personal goals by:
- Motivating and supporting activities of daily living such as personal care, shopping, finances and attending appointments
- Clinical support, such as tracheostomy care, seizure management or medication administration
- Working with multi-disciplinary teams, including neuropsychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and case managers
- Motivating and supporting with cognitive activities
- Support with communication
- Academic support
- Encouraging active participation in new or existing interests and hobbies
- Supporting to fulfil desires such as going on holiday or seeing family and friends more often
Spinal Injury Care
Many of our clients with brain injury care needs also have spinal injury care needs.
Home Therapies
Our clients can receive regular treatments such as renal and intravenous (IV) therapies in the comfort of their own homes. For many this means that they can manage their lives and their medical conditions without time consuming trips to a hospital. It also means that care provision is more cost-effective for the NHS and the local authority.
Community Programmes
Our Community Programmes team employs nurses and healthcare assistants who administer medicines and treatments, in partnership with a US pharmaceutical company, to clients in their own home.
Home therapies include:
- Injection training and monitoring to support adherence
- Injection/infusion administration
- Phlebotomy/sample collection
- Peritoneal dialysis care
- Parenteral nutrition
Advantage Healthcare has been selected by a major pharmaceutical company to provide Home Therapies to their patients. Through our experienced and qualified nationwide network of nurses and healthcare assistants we can provide:
- A safe, high quality and trusted service
- Agile, scalable and dependable scheduling
- Carefully recruited, highly trained nurses
- Patient satisfaction and activity reporting
- Robust contingency planning
Holiday & Special Event Care
Our holiday and special event care allows you to arrange reliable, safe and high-quality care anywhere in the UK. This service is for people who find it difficult to go on holiday due to the level of care and support that they require whilst away from home, often resulting in them not getting the break they need. Our discreet special event care enables our clients to attend those important occasions and family gatherings which make life extra special.
We can provide a member of our care staff to accompany you on holiday in the UK and to support you with daily living. This can be a holiday with you individually, or with your family and friends. Having the support of a professional carer allows you and your family to relax, safe in the knowledge that you are getting the personal attention and support that you need to get the most out of your holiday.
Our service is tailored to you. Whether you have complex medical care requirements, personal care needs, or are looking for social companionship, we are can offer you a high-quality care service.
Call-out service
If you are holidaying in the UK and require care assistance, we can provide a hotel call-out service and arrange for one of our staff to support you, for example with administering medication, during the day or night.
Special event care
We help our clients to attend those important events and family gatherings such as weddings and birthday parties. Our care staff can help to organise transport to and from the venue and accompany you, if you wish. Our carers are happy to wear formal or activity appropriate dress, so you won’t need to worry about them standing out from the other guests. You can focus on enjoying your day.
Our services are flexible and can be adapted to suit your convenience. Should you wish to alter the type or duration of your care, we can easily arrange this for you.
Hospital to Home Care
If you are admitted to hospital, you will look forward to returning to your own home, to recuperate in the place where you feel most comfortable and relaxed. But with increased care requirements, you may fear that you will not be able to go home, and instead will need to move in to a nursing or residential home.
Through our hospital to home service we can help you to return home, after a stay in hospital, with a dedicated carer to assist you to settle back into your familiar surroundings.
Whether you require a high level of care, or just some support with activities of daily living during your recuperation period, we can provide a nurse, healthcare assistant or support worker to assist you through our hospital to home service.
Our high-quality hospital to home service is most suited to individuals who are:
- Currently an in-patient in hospital wishing to return home immediately after being discharged
- Due to be admitted to hospital and will require support after they have been discharged
- In need of practical help or advice about returning home after leaving hospital
- Already at home and in need of extra support following a recent stay in hospital
Whatever your circumstances, we can offer a hospital to home service tailored to meet your specific needs.
Post-Operative Care
Our post-operative care is usually planned around the time of your hospital admission. This ensures that every element of your care package is organised to start from the moment that you are discharged from hospital.
Transport
As part of our hospital to home and post-operative care service, we will support you with your transfer from hospital, making sure you always feel comfortable. We can arrange for one of our care staff to meet you at the hospital and, where required, we can organise transport on your behalf.
Equipment
We can liaise with the hospital discharge team to ensure that any required equipment has been installed in your home, for example hoisting equipment. In addition, one of our client care managers will ensure that a full risk assessment is carried out in your home to make sure it is completely safe for your return.
Training
Our post-operative care service is tailored to you. Should you have any specific care needs, we can ensure that your post-operative carers have received bespoke training in preparation for your discharge from hospital.
Urgent hospital to home service
We understand that hospitals are not always able to give substantial notice before arranging your discharge. Should you need us to respond quickly, our hospital to home service can often start within 48 hours of your initial enquiry. Our care coordinators can liaise and work closely with your GP, hospital doctors, nurses, discharge teams and social workers to ensure that you have a smooth transition from hospital to home.
Live-in Care
For many of us our home is a place full of memories, where we wake up each day and go to bed each night. Many of our clients want to stay in their home regardless of their condition.
With our specialised 24-hour live-in care service, one of our care staff can move into your home, or that of your loved one, to provide a bespoke care service, supporting you to remain independent and in your comfortable home.
Whether you have complex nursing care needs or just require some support with everyday tasks, our 24-hour live-in care team can provide a service designed for you. This offers your family and friends peace of mind, knowing that you are benefiting from the expertise of highly-skilled healthcare professionals, in the place where you are most comfortable.
Live-in care is a personal one-to-one service that is tailored to your needs. It is a flexible service which will accommodate your regular routine as well as adapting to your changing circumstances.
We understand that having someone share your home can be a very personal matter. For this reason, we will take extra care to match our staff sympathetically with your situation and personality, as well as your clinical needs. We also ensure that all our live-in care staff are fully briefed on your expectations and personal preferences.
Care in your home
When faced with illness or immobility, it can be a challenge to carry out everyday activities that you may have once performed with ease. Our discreet care at home service is designed to support you with your day-to-day living, as well as providing you with the encouragement and emotional support that you may need to remain living independently.
Our care service can support you with getting in and out of your bed, dressing, administering medication, bathing and continence care, at a time to suit you. Maintaining your dignity is of paramount importance to us and our carers will ensure you always feel comfortable.
Bathing
Your carer can fully support you with your bathing requirements. They can assist you in getting in and out of the bath or shower safely, as well as washing and drying your hair, if required. If you bathe independently, they are able to sit with you and offer support when needed – giving you peace of mind that someone is there to ensure your safety.
Dressing
Fastening buttons and zips and tying laces are simple processes for some people, however, for many individuals such things can become impossible tasks. If you need help getting dressed and undressed, you can rely on our care staff to provide support to make things easier for you.
Bed routine
Our care assistants can assist you getting in and out of bed, at a time which suits your own routine. We can also provide support with hoisting, if required.
Continence
We can support your toileting whilst preserving your dignity, always. Your carer can help you to get to and from the toilet and, where required, will monitor your personal hygiene to ensure your health and comfort. This can include changing catheter and stoma bags, incontinence pads and sheets and help with bathing and changing clothing.
Meal times
As part of our care service, our carers can support you with all aspects of meal times. This can include organising your weekly shopping, helping with the preparation of your meals and managing the food in your house.
Household Tasks
Our carers can assist you with household duties such as laundry, vacuuming and washing up. If you prefer to complete these tasks yourself our carers can just be on hand to offer support when required.
Medication Assistance
You may sometimes forget to take your prescribed medication, or may struggle to take it the correct way, which could put your health at serious risk. Our care staff can alleviate this worry by prompting you to take your medication and ensure you’re taking the right dosage, at the right time.
Palliative Care
Our palliative care at home service supports adults, young people and children who have been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness and who wish to remain living in the comfort of their own homes. This service can be provided at all stages of illness including diagnosis, treatment, death and bereavement.
Palliative care Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a registered nurse, healthcare assistant or support worker to support me?
To determine whether you will require the support of a nurse, healthcare assistant or support worker we will carry out a full care assessment to identify exactly what your requirements are.
Our care staff can support you with everyday activities such as meal preparation and getting in and out of bed. However, a nurse will support you with more complex requirements such as dressing wounds, administering complex medication, or making a clinical judgement about your pain relief.
How soon can my care service start?
Our service can often start within 48 hours of your initial enquiry. When you contact us, we will arrange for an Advantage Healthcare assessor to visit you in your home and carry out a full assessment of your care requirements and a risk assessment to ensure your safety. A personalised care plan will be produced for you, which we will finalise with you and your family, making sure that you are happy with every aspect. We will select staff to provide care based on your needs, personality and preferences.
We understand that in a crisis you need us to react quickly to allow a care package to start immediately. In such circumstances we will carry out an immediate assessment to facilitate a faster response.
What happens if I pass away?
Should you pass away whilst your carer is with you, if you wish them to, they will be happy to stay with your loved ones, offering them emotional and practical support such as helping to make any necessary arrangements. Alternatively, they can leave your home and give your loved ones’ privacy.
Urgent Palliative Care
We offer an emergency response service to support clients with a terminal illness during times of crisis. We understand that in an emergency you need us to react quickly and you may need a care package to start immediately.
In such circumstances we will carry out an emergency assessment to facilitate a faster response. If you are in hospital we can support you to return home as quickly as possible. We will work in partnership with other healthcare professionals such as GPs and hospital doctors, to ensure that all your care needs are met.
Respite Care
Our respite care service allows primary carers, family members or friends to take time away from their everyday duties to relax, go on holiday or take a break for a few hours.
We understand that being a regular carer for a loved one can make it difficult to take time off to relax, with the worry of who will look your relative or friend. Our respite care service gives you peace of mind, knowing that your loved one will continue to receive the support they need.
You may want a short period of respite, for example, just an afternoon break twice a week where you’re free to spend time with friends or just have some time to yourself. Advantage Healthcare can provide a nurse, healthcare assistant or support worker to look after all your dependent’s care and social needs.
Respite care for the elderly
Caring for an elderly person can be an extremely demanding role. Respite care for the elderly gives family members and carers the opportunity to take a holiday or simply spend some time looking after their own needs, safe in the knowledge that their loved one is receiving the very best care.
Respite care for children
Whether you want respite for a holiday or you just wish to have an afternoon break, we can look after all your children’s care needs.
Respite care for children can provide parents with the opportunity for personal time with partners, other children or just by themselves.
Self-Pay Healthcare
We offer many options for accessing care. You can choose to self-fund your own care. Our Strand Nursing company has over 40 years’ experience in providing discreet, quality care at home and domiciliary care to self-pay clients.
Services for our self-pay clients through our exclusive Strand Nursing agency include live-in care, complex care, social support and palliative care.
Strand Nursing – an Advantage Healthcare company
If you would like to find out more about arranging and directly funding live-in care, specialist complex care or some social companionship, please contact us about our premier care services available through Strand Nursing.
Spinal Injury Care
Advantage Healthcare is an expert provider of spinal injury care, delivering care and support to over 70 individuals with a spinal injury.
We recognise that those with spinal injuries have unique needs due to the severity of their injury. The majority of individuals living with a spinal injury want to live in their own home, many want to follow a chosen career and some want to challenge the limits of their independence. For this reason we deliver care and support that focuses on helping each patient to integrate back into their home environment, as well as supporting their independence during work and social activities.
Supporting our Spinal Injury Patients
Through our diverse database of highly skilled, registered nurses, healthcare assistants and support workers, we can provide expert spinal injury care to clients with a variety of clinical and behavioural needs.
For clients with complex nursing needs, we will arrange bespoke training and ongoing supervision for care staff providing your care.
We have proven experience in delegating clinical tasks in spinal injury care packages, which include;
- Tracheostomy care
- Ventilator care
- Bowel care, including Manual Evacuation
- Bladder Wash
- Catheter Care
- PEG
- Administration of medication
- Autonomic Dysreflexia protocol
- Physiotherapy Regime, (trained and delegated by client’s Physiotherapist)
We allocate a lead nurse to provide supervision and ensure that delegated task competencies are continually assessed. This ensures that your goals and outcomes are achieved whilst providing cost-effective and quality care.
Social Companionship
The comfort we feel in our home is like no other. It is the place where you feel most relaxed and happy. However, as family circumstances change, you may find your house isn’t as busy as it once was and there aren’t as many people around to give you that extra hand when you need it.
Advantage Healthcare social companionship service gives you the support you need to live independently, providing you with the assistance from our care staff at a time to suit you.
This service is ideal for people who would like the reassurance that someone is there with them to offer support when it is needed. It also provides peace of mind for family members who are unable to regularly visit, as they know their loved one is being cared for.
Our care staff, who are carefully selected to match your personality and requirements, will provide company and conversation, as well as providing support with household and social activities. This service will be tailored to your requirements and can be adapted to meet your changing needs. We will also arrange for you to meet your carer before your care package starts to ensure that you are happy.