United KingdomUnited KingdomNo two people or the environments they live in are the same, which is why it is mandated in law that any services provided to support people should be delivered in collaboration and partnership with the service user, enabling choice and control over their own lives. The pilot with East Riding of Yorkshire has clearly highlighted the range of people needing support.
George lives alone and has a mild memory impairment. When the Beanbag Care team visited so survey the home, it was highlighted that George had already been proactive, installing a video monitoring system to enable his son to keep an eye on him remotely. However, he was having some difficulties with maintaining his environment, which the cameras could not help with.
George’s home would often get cold. At times he would leave the door open, as he would forget to close it. When the team met with George and his son to discuss the benefits of Beanbag Care, it was agreed the George would benefit the most from just the Assisted Comfort service.
The Assisted Comfort service includes monitoring of temperature, humidity, and carbon monoxide levels to keep George safe at home. It also includes an easy-to-use thermostat that George’s son can use to control the heating from an app on his phone.
George was extremely happy with the service and was grateful for the help stating that the system was simple to use and that he would “recommend it to anyone”. He was happy that we worked with him and enabled choice and control in what is fitted in his home, listening to his wishes, and tailoring the service to his needs.
The flexibility of the Beanbag Care system can be seen on other installations. Lucy has a moderate level of dementia that has progressed since the initial referral. Her family were concerned that the Beanbag care system may not benefit her, owing to her level of confusion.
Lucy’s home initially started with the full service installed. Unfortunately, the family quickly realised that Lucy had become confident using her own heating controls prior to install of the Beanbag Care system, changing these meant an entirely new system for Lucy to learn, which can be difficult for anyone living with dementia. This quickly became a concern for Lucy, who would often call her daughter for support with turning the heating up or down. The Beanbag Care team and Lucy’s family thought it was best to continue benefiting from the system, but without the heating controls to reduce Lucy’s frustration. This meant Lucy would still be monitored for risks such as falls, high/low temperatures, and carbon monoxide levels, but with reduced frustration of learning a new heating system.
Janet lives next door to her daughter in law, Patricia which is one of three homes, linked together. These homes were designed to enable supported living but had only one heating system between all three properties.
Patricia was excited about the installation of the system but concerned that the heating would need to be changed to allow full use. This would then impact her own home and her mother’s home on the other side. The Beanbag Care team listened to her concerns and were able to install the entire system, without the controls for the heating, ensuring that Janet was still monitored in her environment with limited interruption.
The Beanbag Care system has now been installed in multiple homes and each time we have listened to the service user’s needs, wishes, and desires, communicated with family, and in partnership decided on the best service to meet their individual needs. The Beanbag care system meets best practice guidance by being person-centred and we continue to work with our customers to ensure they get the right service for them.
Just three months into the project and we have already seen the benefit of the flexibility of the Beanbag Care system.
Please note all names used in this case study have been changed to protect the identity of the service user.