Five More Years at Home, Surrounded by Friends and Familiar Things

How relationship-led home care helped our client enjoy five more years in the home she loved

When Alan first contacted Greg Brown at Home Instead Reigate & Tandridge, his mother was becoming increasingly frail and needed support to continue living independently.

What followed was five years of companionship, friendship and care that allowed her to remain in the home she loved, surrounded by familiar belongings and with a view of the garden she had tended for so many years.

Following his mother’s death, Alan wrote to Greg to thank him and the team for the difference they had made to her life.

When Care Professionals become friends

One of the things Alan remembers most fondly is how much his mother enjoyed the company of her Care Professionals.

“Mum frequently said that she considered all of the Home Instead caregivers to be friends, and how lucky she was that she had them coming in to see her.”

Alan wasn’t convinced that his mother ever really recognised she needed care. What mattered to her was the companionship, the conversations and the familiar faces she looked forward to seeing.

At Home Instead, we carefully match clients with Care Professionals who share similar interests or personalities. Our minimum two-hour visits allow time for friendships to develop naturally, alongside providing practical support.

As Alan recalled, his mother “very much enjoyed the companionship that the caregivers brought each day and she really appreciated how everyone looked after her and was really caring towards her.”

The simple pleasure of looking out at her garden

For Alan’s mother, remaining in her own home was enormously important.

“Mum’s house and her garden were very important to her and I am confident that it gave her an enormous amount of pleasure to be able to carry on living in her own home and to be able to look out of the window at the garden that she had tended for so many years.”

It’s a lovely reminder that independence is often about the simplest things. The view from a favourite chair, familiar routines and being surrounded by a lifetime of memories.

Our role is to help older people continue enjoying these everyday pleasures, with support that respects their independence and personal choices.

Bringing Mum home when it mattered most

After five years of care, Alan’s mother suffered a fall and was admitted to hospital.

Alan hoped that returning to familiar surroundings might help her regain her strength. Sadly, she didn’t recover as the family had hoped, but getting her home was hugely important to everyone.

Making this possible required a rapid change to her care arrangements. Alan particularly thanked Nancy, our Scheduler, and the Care Professionals who adapted their schedules at incredibly short notice.

“I also know that it wouldn’t have been possible to get her home when we did, without the effort that Nancy put in at incredibly short notice to revise the schedule, and the willingness and flexibility of the care professionals to accommodate our new requirements.”

Alan was certain that his mother knew she was back home, and that brought comfort to the whole family.

Five years that meant so much

There was another touching observation in Alan’s email.

A geriatric consultant at East Surrey Hospital, who had assessed his mother five years earlier, remembered how frail she had been. The consultant expressed surprise that she was still going strong five years later and commented on how well she had been looked after during that time.

For Alan, those five years were precious. His mother had enjoyed her home, her garden and the friendship of people she genuinely liked and trusted.
He summed it up beautifully.

“Home Instead is more than just a slogan; it really does have meaning for people like mum.”

We’re grateful to Alan for sharing his mother’s story. It’s a wonderful reminder of why companionship, continuity and taking time to build relationships are so central to the care we provide.

If you’re considering home care for an older parent or loved one, we’d be happy to discuss how our relationship-led approach could help them continue enjoying life at home.

Contact Home Instead Reigate & Tandridge on 01737 529793 or email us.