Home Instead Canary Wharf at the Vietnamese Community Health Fair

We were privileged to be invited to attend the Vietnamese Community Health Fair at Calder’s Wharf Community Centre in Tower Hamlets.

Organised by the Alzheimer’s Society, this wonderful event brought together a wide range of services, from local GPs and mental health specialists to smoking cessation advisors and healthcare providers.

 

Reaching All Communities

 

East London is home to one of the most vibrant and tightly-knit Vietnamese communities in the city.

It is a community with a rich culture, deep family values, and a strong tradition of looking after one another.

And yet, like many ethnic minority communities across the country, older Vietnamese residents can face real barriers when it comes to accessing the health and social care support they need and are entitled to.

Navigating an unfamiliar system, uncertainty about what help is available, concerns about cost, and simply not knowing who to turn to can all mean that people go without the support that could make a genuine difference to their daily lives.

Events like the Vietnamese Community Health Fair exist to break down exactly those barriers

 

What We Do

 

At our stall, we had the opportunity to talk to members of the community about what home care actually means in practice.

For many people, the idea of receiving care from a provider can feel daunting, or even unwelcome. There can be a sense that accepting outside help means losing independence, or that it is somehow an admission that they cannot cope. We spend a lot of our time at events like this illustrating a different perspective.

Support from Home Instead is about the opposite of taking independence away. It is about giving people the support they need to carry on living life on their own terms, in the place they love most.

Whether that is help with meal preparation, light housekeeping, companionship and social engagement, accompanying someone to appointments, or assisting with personal care needs, the goal is always the same: to enable someone to live as fully and comfortably as possible, for as long as possible, in their own home.

For families in the Vietnamese community, many of whom carry a deep sense of responsibility for their elderly relatives, we were also able to talk through how professional care can complement, rather than replace, the love and support that families provide. Many of our clients’ families tell us that having a trusted carer involved gives them enormous peace of mind, and actually allows them to be more present and less stretched when they do spend time with their loved one.

Quality care requires a tailored approach, rather than a “one-size-fits-all” one. Food, language, customs, faith, and family dynamics all matter to the people we support, and they matter to us too. A care visit should feel familiar and comfortable, not clinical or foreign. Whether that means understanding the significance of certain foods, being mindful of how personal care is discussed and provided, or simply taking the time to listen and learn, culturally aware care is better care.

 

The Home Instead Difference

 

Home Instead has been rated as Outstanding by the CQC and our person-centred philosophy of care is focused on providing the highest quality service possible.

If you are thinking about having some extra support for yourself or a loved one, call our friendly team today on 0203 713 3161, or send us a message and someone will get back to you within 24 hours.