Live-In Care: Brian’s Story
Live-In Care: a case study from one of our offices
At Home Instead our aim is to help people age positively at home, where they feel most comfortable. One of the ways in which we do this is through our Live-in Care service when a trained Care Professional (or two or three on rotation) lives in a client’s home to provide all the necessary care and companionship to enjoy a high quality of life.
At Home Instead Glasgow North, this service has been invaluable to one of their clients, Brian Murphy (52). Brian lives with MND, but first called upon Home Instead’s services after noticing some difficulty with his mobility.
Brian who comes from Ayr and is married to Gillian, had worked as a consultant cardiologist at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow prior to his diagnosis, but after noticing difficulty with his mobility around March 2023, contacted Home Instead for some Live-in Care.
Following an admission into hospital with appendicitis and being fitted with a tracheostomy to support with his breathing, Brian was faced with the reality that he was likely to be spending a significant period of time in hospital. The process of changing a tracheostomy is something normally carried out in a hospital setting and indications from the clinical team were that the hospital was the best place for him to remain.
However, Brian had a determination to return home, to the surroundings where he felt most comfortable, so reached out to Home Instead. Brian’s first point of contact was with Tammy, team leader at the Home Instead Glasgow North office, in Bearsden. Tammy was able to reassure Brian that there were other options and that Home Instead would find a way; a way to enable Brian to come home.
It was through the endeavour and commitment of both Brian and the Home Instead team, that a package was put in place for Brian to receive Live-in Care and this commenced in March 2023.
The biggest barrier that Brian identified and was able to overcome, was to secure funding to allow him to be supported at home. This was at times challenging and frustrating, but Brian’s drive and perseverance, coupled with the support he received from the senior management team at Home Instead Glasgow North enabled him to be successful in this.
The impact of professional care
Brian is determined to make a positive impact from his situation and is very focussed on promoting the value of the difference Care Professionals can make to people’s lives. In particular, he is passionate about ensuring that those that work in the sector are recognised on a national level, for the immense work they do and are rewarded in accordance to the massive impact they have on people’s lives.
Brian has a core group of eight Care Professionals that rotate in and out of his service. They have built up a great relationship and rapport, not only with Brian but also his family.
One of Brian’s Care Professionals Tinashe Mutore commented: “As well as supporting Brian with day-to-day tasks, the team and I are also required to change his tracheostomy which we have been fully trained to carry out. This is a crucial aspect of the care Brian required and this was integral to him coming home, as this is normally done in a hospital setting”.
Saqib Rehman, Director of Home Instead Glasgow North concluded: “Since Brian has been receiving Live-in Care with Home Instead Glasgow North, he has begun to enjoy living again. He has celebrated his wife’s 50th birthday, whilst also going on a break to St Andrews, accompanied by his Home Instead Care Professionals. He has also become an advocate within his local community towards influencing accessibility to care and funding for those who are choosing to stay at home. It’s great to see the difference we have been able to make in not only Brian’s life but the lives of those around him.”
To find out more about Home Instead’s live-in care service visit – Live-in Care In Your Own Home or call 03308 221 879 and we’ll answer any questions you may have.