Caregivers from Home Instead receive special training to support people living with Parkinson's in Hemel Hempstead

Caregivers from at-home care company Home Instead have undergone specialist training to enable them to better understand the needs of people living with Parkinson’s across Hemel Hempstead and Chilterns.

The training has come about thanks to a special partnership with Parkinson’s UK, the national charity supporting people with Parkinson’s, their friends, family and carers.

As a result of the initiative, the company has a handful of Parkinson’s trained specialist caregivers, with further plans to train all their caregivers over the next year.

Home Instead carried out research amongst its franchise offices and identified a high number of clients living at home with Parkinson’s.

The need for specialist care to better support people with Parkinson’s became evident, and the company wanted to ensure it was delivering the best possible quality of care for people to live well at home.

Home Instead Hemel Hempstead and Chilterns is delighted to combine Parkinson’s care with its quality home care services, broadening the range of older adults that it can help remain in their own homes.

Parkinson’s is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world, and with over 40 symptoms, from tremor to insomnia and anxiety, the condition varies from person to person and there is no cure.

Lisa Patrick recently became a Parkinson’s caregiver, speaking about their new caregiving position, they said: “The training was so informative and comprehensive that I now feel well informed and confident about how I can care for somebody living at home with Parkinson’s.

"There are many practical things I have to consider, including helping clients walk, as well as the need to support them emotionally.

"The diagnosis of Parkinson’s can cause anxiety not only for the individual, but for their family.

"It’s my honour to give families the reassurance that their loved one is in safe hands and living happily at home, while enjoying the relationship they have always had.

"I wear my ‘Parkinson’s Partners’ badge with pride!”

Jeremy Lane, owner at Home Instead Hemel Hempstead and Chilterns said: “We are delighted to work with Parkinson’s UK so that our staff are trained to the highest quality and feel confident in their knowledge and understanding of the condition.

“Parkinson’s is complex but by delivering the right care, our staff can greatly contribute to improving the quality of life for people living with the condition and support them to maintain their independence at home for longer.

"We also hope that families will be assured that they do have a choice when it comes to care options for their loved ones.”

Ghalib Ullah, head of commercial partnerships at Parkinson’s UK said: “There are currently 145,000 people living with Parkinson’s in the UK and with population growth and ageing, we

estimate that this will increase by a fifth, to around 172,000 people in the UK, by 2030.

"So we know that more people are going to need care, and getting this right is important.

“It’s really fantastic to work with Home Instead, specialists in at-home care, because we know that domiciliary care is preferable to many people with Parkinson’s and their loved ones.

"We hope that by supporting and enabling care staff to feel confident when it comes to understanding Parkinson’s, individuals are able to enjoy their own routine and environment.”

Through the partnership, Home Instead will offer Parkinson’s UK an expert view of home care and how it can provide a safe place for people with a Parkinson’s diagnosis to live well.

The two organisations will work collaboratively on the content, creation, design and delivery of this.