What We Do
Arbour Companions & Care specialise in providing 24-hour homecare services across Surrey and South England. We are qualified to support all levels of care needs, including complex care, dementia and care at home after a stroke.
We understand that looking for and choosing care is a hugely important process. You need to feel absolutely confident you are making the best decision for you and that you are 100% clear on what you are getting. The information below is meant to make our services and how we work as clear and transparent as possible. You can also read our FAQs.
If you have any questions, or want to discuss the care choices available to you, please get in touch. We are here to help.
From First Contact to Choosing Care
There are many reasons people decide they need more help. Perhaps things are getting a bit harder around the home, or you have unfortunately had a spell in hospital. Our approach to finding live-in care is to talk to you about exactly what you need and make suggestions for the right level of care so you can live safely and happily in your own home.
Step 1 – First Contact
The very first step is to call us on 01932 901444 or send us a message using our contact form. If you can’t get hold of us immediately, we will call you back as soon as possible and always the same day.
Our registered Manager, Christina Sell, will have a friendly chat to find out what is happening in your (of your loved one’s) life and why this might be the right time to think about care. You can share any immediate questions, hopes and fears and we can let you know very honestly if we can offer a service that is right for you.
Step 2 – The Informal Visit
After that first call, one of our assessors (either Christina Sell or Sarah Bridgeman Over) will make an informal visit to learn more about you or your loved one. Time spent sitting together face to face is so invaluable. We will talk through a wide range of issues, from care and support needs to your likes, dislikes and interests.
This is completely free of charge and provides an opportunity for you to ask questions and familiarise yourself with us and the types of care packages we have available.
Step 3 – The Care Assessment
Following our initial visit, we will make an assessment of the right level of care based on everything you tell us. This could lead us to recommending more of a companion service, or a higher level of care. Read the section on Our Care Options to find out more about what different levels of care involve.
We will already have given a rough indication of costs from the outset, but after the care assessment we can give exact prices.
If you are happy with everything we have discussed, it is after this that we sign a contract – whether that is two weeks, four weeks or for a full year.
Step 4 – The Care Plan
Before life with your wonderful new carer begins, we put together a detailed care plan. This working document is a large white file that includes information from you, like what time you like to get up and go to bed, what medication you need and so on. It makes sure carers, and any other visiting professionals, are fully informed on what sort of care to give. It also contains a full risk assessment.
The care plan is signed by both you and a designated family member to confirm you are happy with the contents and give your consent to care.
From here, we will recommend which of our carefully selected and professionally trained carers could be a suitable match to come and live with you.
If you need a high level of care, we will work collaboratively with all concerned parties, including family and friends, to gain a deeper understanding of the daily care requirements. All our carers are fully qualified, but if there is need for a particular expertise – such as dementia care – we make sure the carer we suggest is trained and experienced in this area.
Our goal is to provide you with care that offers peace of mind both for you and your loved ones, whilst, at the same time, encouraging independence. We also make sure you have peace of mind safe in the knowledge that your loved one is secure and well looked after.
Our Care Options
Everyone’s care needs are different. That is why we create tailored care solutions, based on each individual.
This could mean:
A Complete Care Service
Even if you or your loved one is heavily dependent on care, it is still entirely possible to stay living happily and safely at home. We can provide a complete package of care, coordinating all the key professionals. This provides a lifeline for many families, removing the heartbreak of having to choose a care home.
Simple Live-in Care
Our trained carers can live with you or your loved one and help with the more straightforward day-to-day tasks. This may include help to get up and dressed in the morning, assistance with medication, accompanying you on shopping trips, driving you to different locations and, most importantly, keeping you safe.
A Companion
We can also provide a paid companion – someone who will be around to give a guiding hand and ensure you or your loved one is safe, helping him or her continue to enjoy the things that matter most. Whether that’s getting out and about in the country, visiting friends and family or just staying at home and enjoying the peace of their own surroundings, we are here for you.
Our Services
Our 24-hour live-in carers will provide the support that has been agreed in your individually designed care and support plan. This may include:
- Taking you out to visit places of interest
- Helping you to keep in touch with your friends
- Taking you to concerts/theatre/cinema
- Helping you to keep up with your hobbies and interests
- Personal care - help with washing, dressing and continence needs
- Preparing your meals and helping with your nutritional needs
- Helping you with your medication, collecting your prescriptions
- Help with mobility
- Companionship
We are often asked whether our carers drive people to places like the shops, or GP and hospital appointments and if they then wait for you. The answer is ‘yes’! Although some of our carers have their own car, it is more usual for us to organise a taxi for odd visits. If clients have their own car and are happy to insure their carer to drive it, we can provide carers who can drive. We often use a fantastic taxi service, Driving Miss Daisy, who we know we can trust to transport people using friendly, reputable, drivers. They have special cars adapted for wheelchairs. We have also on occasion organized an ambulance for people who are either very ill or who find sitting in a chair uncomfortable. We are, as we say, very flexible and able to solve most problems.
For more information about our carers – including their training and responsibilities – read Our Carers section.
Dementia Care
The number of people with dementia is, sadly, increasing year on year. There are many different types of dementia and every person will experience it in their own unique way.
Providing proper care for a person with dementia is a specialist skill. We are trained to provide care at home for those with dementia of any type. Our approach is to really get to know the individual, so we can create a meaningful activity programme for them and understand any tricky behaviour or habits so we can manage those challenging situations the best way possible.
We have written a helpful factsheet on caring for someone with dementia. To download it, click here.
Our Locations
It is important that our Managing Director, Christina and her Registered Manager, Sarah, can provide hands-on support and can reach all our clients quickly if necessary. That is why we make sure all the locations we cover are within easy driving distance.
We provide care across Surrey and South England within the following locations:
Surrey
Ascot South, Egham, Epsom, Esher, Camberley, Chertsey, Chilworth, Chobham, Cobham, Cranleigh, Dorking, Farnham, Godalming, Guildford, Haslemere, Lightwater, Oxshott, Peaslake, Pirbright, Puttenham, Shalford, Shere, Sunningdale, Virginia Water, Walton-on-Thames, Wentworth, Weybridge, Windlesham, Woking
South England
We also have arrangements in place to provide and supervise carers across South England, within Hampshire, Dorset, Somerset, Suffolk and Essex.