LIVING WELL WITH BARIATRIC CARE, FOR ALL OF LIFE

At Prestige Nursing & Care, we believe that everyone needing bariatric care should be able to live a fulfilled and healthy life with the right support tailored to their individual needs.

As an established care provider, we have supported individuals who require bariatric care to enjoy an improved quality of life in their own homes and communities for over 75 years. We are trusted by families up and down the country to provide care for all of life, evolving the level and type of care we provide to meet changing needs.

YOUR HOME IS BEST FOR BARIATRIC CARE

We know through our experience of supporting thousands of people and their families, that facing the prospect of needing long-term care and support can be a challenging time. For those with bariatric care needs, most people would prefer to stay in the safety, comfort and familiarity of their treasured home and not endure the disruption caused from a move away.

Staying at home with the bariatric care you need means that you can continue to live life your way, whilst benefiting from one-to-one care provided by a competent and compassionate carer. They will focus on effectively managing your bariatric care needs, so you can have an improved quality of life with enhanced well-being. Care at home enables you to remain independent and live your life with choice, whilst supporting you to successfully meet development milestones.

WHAT IS BARIATRIC CARE?

The term bariatric refers to a form of medicine that deals with health issues relating to extreme obesity. Obesity is a significant public health problem in the UK, with the majority of people either being overweight or obese. Over 67% of men are either overweight or obese and 60% of women. This includes 26% of men and 29% of women who are obese – and the figures are steadily rising year on year.

Those who are overweight or obese are at increased risk of several common diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, heart problems and some cancers. After smoking, obesity is the most common cause of cancer in the UK.

Obesity is a complex health issue and results from factors such behaviour and genetics. If you need bariatric care it is likely that your condition is a result of inactivity, dietary patterns or medications you have been prescribed for example steroids and anti-depressants, poor mental health or a combination of these.

WHAT IS BARIATRIC SURGERY?

Bariatric surgery is a collective term used for weight-loss surgeries, including a gastric bypass. When an obese person has found it challenging to lose weight, they may need to have bariatric surgery to avoid serious weight-related health problems. Some bariatric procedures work by reducing the body’s ability to absorb nutrients while others limit how much you can eat and some do both. While bariatric surgery can offer many benefits there are also risks and side effects and many bariatric patients may require aftercare following surgery.

Whilst in the short-term this type of weight-loss surgery can provide many benefits, it is still important to make permanent healthy changes to ensure the long-term success of bariatric surgery. A person who requires bariatric patient care will need to be supported during recovery to avoid any post-surgery complications, but to also continue to focus on maintaining a good diet with frequent exercise.

RECOVERY AFTER BARIATRIC SURGERY

As with any surgery, aftercare is important in facilitating the recovery process and reducing the risk of complications occurring such as infections, blood clots in the legs or lungs and internal bleeding. As you recover from bariatric surgery, you will be closely monitored by one of our compassionate and competent carers to ensure that you are happy and safe throughout your entire recovery process. Our carers can also be a great source of motivation and comfort as you focus on implementing new diet and exercise lifestyle changes. Such attentive one-to-one care is difficult to achieve while recovering in bariatric care facilities.

OUR APPROACH TO BARIATRIC CARE AT HOME

At Prestige Nursing & Care, we provide a care and support package that enables you to live a happy and fulfilled life in the safety and comfort of your own home. No matter what age you are, the bariatric care and support we provide will be guided by you and tailored to your needs, giving you choice over how you live your life and the support you want. Our focus is for you to have as much enjoyment in life and our carer will support you with a bariatric care plan that means you can enjoy activities and as much socialisation as you wish. They will actively encourage you to learn new skills and engage new hobbies to make life stimulating and meaningful.

Those who need bariatric care are likely to be living with a series of challenges that impact day-to-day life, health and well-being. A person is likely to have restricted movement and reach which can make personal care difficult. Our respectful carers are trained to provide sensitive personal care with the utmost dignity. Skin care is vital to those who need bariatric care as skin has heightened vulnerability to infection. Our carers will support you to maintain a good personal hygiene regime whilst closely monitoring any changes and responding appropriately.

We know that those who need bariatric care may have low self-esteem and many live with depression associated with their condition. Our carers are not only able to meet bariatric care needs but are on hand to support emotional and psychological needs too. They are always proactive in building self-esteem through positive and gentle encouragement, whilst being sensitive and respectful.

A nutritious and healthy diet is important to those who need bariatric care and our carers are there to support clients to eat well and reach their dietary goals.

Our approach to bariatric care at home is based on the ‘RESPECT’ model of care:

Rapport – this relates to an interpersonal relationship of connection, empathy and understanding of those we care for that builds trust, confidence and collaboration.
Environment – we ensure the home environment has adequate space and has the equipment needed to promote participation, mobility and independence to improve the quality of life of those needing bariatric care.
Safety – we focus on the safety of those we care for and the mobility challenges they are facing, as well as our care team.
Privacy – the privacy of those we care for is the hallmark of the quality of our care.
Encouragement – motivation and attitude play a significant role in the success of treatment and improve the quality of life for those needing bariatric care.
Care and compassion – care and compassion are at the forefront of our bariatric care and all our carers adopt a sensitive, respectful and dignified care approach to the care they provide.
Tact – our care is focused on what is proper and appropriate in supporting those receiving bariatric care at home.

We work collaboratively with our clients and their families to develop a thorough care and support plan that accurately reflects a person’s holistic needs. We also adopt a partnership approach to working with local authority partners, NHS services, multidisciplinary teams, therapists and other community bodies involved in a person’s care. This means we are well-informed to provide continuity of care ensuring the right care is in place at the right time, whilst responding efficiently to changing needs and strengthening care provision when required.

BARIATRIC POST-OPERATIVE CARE

If you need bariatric or gastric bypass home care, we can provide reablement care that enables you to relearn skills following surgery. Our carers will assist with goal-focused care at home that involves intensive time-limited assessment and therapy developed by the clients’ specialist care centre. The aim of this is to reduce the need for a long-term care arrangement or readmission to hospital.

COMPETENT AND COMPASSIONATE BARIATRIC CARERS

When you choose Prestige Nursing & Care, you can be reassured that the carer who cares for you or your loved one is experienced and expertly trained to provide the support you need, to the high standards you should expect.

If you are receiving complex care at home, the carers we choose to support your needs will have at least six months care or health sector experience before they come to care for you. In addition to completing our induction training programme, which goes above mandatory requirements, they are trained by our registered nurses, clinical experts and other healthcare professionals involved in providing care to a specific client. This hands-on nurse training means our carers can competently undertake a range of clinical interventions.

We adopt a bespoke approach to training that ensures our carers have the knowledge, skills and aptitude to deliver high-quality complex care that meets the very specific needs of our clients. Through our unrivalled supervision and clinical oversight, carers can adapt their approach and evolve the care they provide to meet changing needs.

We are very proud of our carers – each and every one is dedicated to providing compassionate, sensitive and dignified complex care at home that means our clients live a fulfilled and meaningful life, with independence and choice, for all of life.

Case Study

Complex Care Case Studies

IMPROVING GILL’S QUALITY OF LIFE WITH BARIATRIC CARE AT HOME

At the age of 63, Gill weighed approximately 49 stone and had two abdominal lymphedemas, one weighing around 10 stone.

IMPROVING GILL'S QUALITY OF LIFE WITH BARIATRIC CARE AT HOME

At the age of 63, Gill weighed approximately 49 stone and had two abdominal lymphedemas, one weighing around 10 stone.

This often became infected and would require dry dressings. Gill was bed bound and required assistance with all aspects of personal care. Due to highly reduced mobility, Gill was at high risk of DVT (deep vein thrombosis). She often became very breathless and was at very high risk of heart failure. She also lived with depression and had very low self-esteem due to her condition.

When Prestige Nursing & Care started to care for Gill our registered nurse found a suitable team of established carers to look after Gill. Each member of the team was trained to meet Gill’s specific care and nursing needs. The team were trained to monitor, clean, dress and recognise infections on Gill’s lymphedemas, which reduced the number of infections she had. The team also supported Gill's physio exercise, which she was not motivated to do. They engaged Gill in her exercise programme by doing it with her, which made it fun for Gill.

Having a trained team delivering a personalised plan of nurse-led care gave Gill her confidence back and her mental health improved. The involvement of the Prestige team in Gill’s care has led to less hospital admissions, less infections, and she has a healthier and happier lifestyle.

WHAT DOES OUR HOME CARE SERVICE INCLUDE FOR THOSE WHO NEED BARIATRIC CARE?

EXPERT NURSE-LED CARE

Our service is nurse-led and carers are trained in the clinical skills required to provide care and support for complex, terminal and other medical conditions that impact how you live your life. They are supported by an experienced, dedicated registered nurse who undertakes regular competency assessments to ensure high standards of care delivery and provides clinical monitoring, supervision and support. With this leadership and oversight carers can perform many delegated healthcare tasks and clinical interventions at home.

CONDITION-LED CARE

We provide specialist care of conditions that affect a person’s ability to live well. Whatever specialist condition you are living with, our carers are supported by our expert nursing and clinical teams to ensure you live a life with improved quality and health outcomes, whilst maintaining choice and independence.

CONSIDERATE COMPANIONSHIP

Companionship is at the forefront of everything we do. Our carers will support your social, emotional and psychological needs as well as your care needs so you can live a fulfilled life, for all of life. At Prestige Nursing & Care we will match you with the most suitable carers so that interests and backgrounds are aligned as we know this makes for an enriched and enjoyable life. Our carers will support you to maintain friendships and social interests, whilst ensuring you continue to be connected to things you care about in your local community.

SENSITIVE PERSONAL CARE

Our carers are trained to provide personal care in a way that is compassionate, respectful and sensitive. They will support you with the tasks of bathing, personal hygiene, dressing and continence care, whilst ensuring you are always looking and feeling your best as we know how this builds self-esteem.

SAFE MOBILITY AT HOME

Our carers are trained to support safe mobility in and around the home – everything from transferring and positioning to minimising falls through effective assessment of risk, to facilitating and supporting safe movement. They will effectively assess risks and work with clients who wish to take ‘positive risks’ so that they can have as much independence as possible and live life as you wish.

EFFICIENT MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION

For the majority of our clients ensuring medications are managed effectively is critical to their health and well-being. Our carers can manage complex medication regimes, providing sensitive reminders and collecting medication from the pharmacy.

MEAL PREPARATION AND COOKING

Our carers will help by planning your meals, preparing and cooking your food for you, or with you whilst supporting you to eat if needed. They will focus on ensuring the food you eat meets your health and nutritional needs, whilst maintaining your preferences and choices.

HOUSEHOLD TASKS IN AND OUT OF THE HOME

Our carers will make sure your house is clean, laundry is done as required and will undertake any shopping or errands outside the home. They will also happily provide care to your beloved pet.

HOME FROM HOSPITAL

We work closely with community nursing teams and hospital discharge planners to support a swift and effective discharge from hospital ensuring the right care and support is in place. Our high-quality, home care service delivered by trained and experienced carers and overseen by clinical experts is focused on achieving outcomes that significantly reduce hospital admissions.

REABLEMENT CARE

For clients who need to relearn skills our carers assist goal-focussed care at home that involves intensive time-limited assessment and therapy intended to reduce the need for a long-term care arrangement or readmission to hospital.

ENABLEMENT CARE

We provide support to people who need to learn new skills to improve the overall quality of their life with as much independence as possible. Our carers are focused on enabling a person to do as much for themselves as possible with the right support, as opposed to just doing it for them. We know this means people can live a more fulfilled and purposeful life.

REHABILITATION

We assist outcome-based rehabilitation at home following a life-altering incident supports an individual with mobility, physical development and mental health well-being. We adopt a multi-disciplinary approach to the service we provide working in collaboration with other healthcare professionals, including physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists to ensure a high-quality, holistic and responsive approach to the brain injury care we provide.

PALLIATIVE / END-OF-LIFE CARE

Our compassionate and competent carers are there to support those who need palliative or end-of-life care. They are trained to ensure an individual’s medical, physical, psychological, social and spiritual well-being is enhanced, whilst ensuring a person’s wishes, choices and preferences are met until the very end-of-life.

CLINICAL EXCELLENCE AT PRESTIGE NURSING & CARE

Clinical excellence is at the heart of our culture and approach to service delivery at Prestige Nursing & Care. Our nursing care for bariatric patients is monitored and supported by our experienced regional nursing teams. Our team of qualified regional nurses are registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Each holds a registered nursing qualification in at least one nursing specialism, including general adult nursing, learning and disability nursing, mental health nursing and children’s nursing. They enable the planning and delivery of safe and effective complex care to our clients, that is focused on ensuring the best possible care experience for our clients and their families.

Our nurses work in partnership with our care co-ordinators, carers, clients and families to identify specific care needs and plan the most appropriate care provision, whilst ensuring all our carers have the skills they need to deliver high standards of nurse-led care. They also provide families with on-going advice and continual support to ensure they feel reassured about the bariatric nursing care we provide.

HOW WE PROVIDE CARE AT HOME FOR THOSE NEEDING BARIATRIC CARE

Our trusted and established care at home service can be provided in the following ways for someone who needs bariatric care:

Hourly care or visiting care is for those who need care and support with tasks of daily living or clinical care at certain times during the day. Care at home can be provided from a 60 minute visit to as many hours/visits throughout the day you require. One day or several days of the week depending on your care and support needs. For those who have complex needs, hourly care can be provided over a 24-hour period.
Respite care for those needing a short-term arrangement after hospital discharge to rehabilitate or when a family carer needs a break from their caring role. It is also an ideal service for families who wish to assess whether care at home is the right care choice for them.

CARE MANAGEMENT LOCAL TO YOU

Our responsive and reliable bariatric home care service local to you means we can put care and support in place quickly and in many cases within 24-hours. Our local care expert will conduct a comprehensive assessment of your needs at home, in hospital or in any specialist care setting if you are awaiting discharge back to your own home. If you have complex needs and need nurse-led care, our expert registered nurse will complete the assessment enabling a plan of care and support to be developed that meets all your needs.

Our approach to care planning ensures we capture all your preferences and wishes so you can live a contented life in the comfort of your own home. We take time to find the carer that will best meet your care and support needs, making sure they are closely aligned with how you wish to live your life. Once care is in place, our local teams made up of care and clinical experts provide you, your family and our carer with an abundance of on-going support, giving you peace of mind that you or your loved one is receiving the very best home care.

QUALITY ASSURANCE THROUGH REGULATED SERVICE PROVISION

Prestige Nursing & Care is not an agency. Unlike a home care agency, we provide a fully managed and regulated care at home service. This means our clients, their families and our professional partners can be reassured that the care and support we provide those needing bariatric care is of the very highest quality.

Our service is inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in England and the Scottish Care Inspectorate (SCI) in Scotland. We are proud that 96% of our inspected services have been rated as providing a ‘Good’ service, with 4% rated ‘Outstanding’ and all our services in Scotland have been awarded a five-star rating.

COST OF BARIATRIC CARE

The cost of our bariatric care plan is dependent on the level of care and support you require. If you are receiving our hourly bariatric care, the overall cost will be determined by the number of visits and frequency of visits to you at home. Our experts will conduct a comprehensive assessment of your needs at your home, or in hospital if you are awaiting discharge, to truly understand what you need and therefore how much bariatric care at home will cost.

We know that our cost of bariatric care is very competitive when compared with other home care providers. It is worth noting that when comparing the cost of home care with a care package in a care home, that the fee you pay for home care is actually for the care and support you receive. In a care home your weekly fee mainly covers your accommodation, food and social activities with the care package being only a small part of what you pay.

You may be entitled to either social care funding or healthcare funding to contribute to the cost of bariatric care at home. There may also be other Government initiatives available and local authority support. If you are faced with having to finance your own home care (known as self-funding care), there are initiatives available to you, including care fees annuities or equity release schemes that could provide the funds you need for your care and support.

RESPONSIVE LOCAL TEAMS WITH NATIONWIDE COVERAGE

We are providing care and support to those needing bariatric care in over 30 locations in the heart of communities across England and Scotland. The fully managed service we provide is highly responsive and our experts local to you can put care packages in place quickly, working in collaboration with local healthcare professionals, multidisciplinary teams, therapeutic care providers and other community support services. We know this holistic approach ensures our clients get the best out of life, for all of life.

Find a care service near you.

Find out why our clients choose Prestige Nursing & Care for a high quality and responsive home care service.

BARIATRIC CARE FAQS

WHAT IS BARIATRIC CARE?

Bariatric care is specialist support provided to people living with obesity and the effects it may have on their day-to-day life. It can also refer to the care provided to individuals that are recovering from bariatric surgery.

HOW DO I ARRANGE BARIATRIC CARE?

If you or a loved one need bariatric care or bariatric surgery support, we are here to help you and your family every step of the way. You can call us on 0808 239 1525. One of our friendly care advisors will provide information, guidance and advice on your care options.

To find the nearest Prestige Nursing & Care service to you, you can use the search function on our website.

HOW QUICKLY CAN CARE BE SET UP?

Our responsive and reliable local care at home service means we can put bariatric care and support in place quickly, and in many cases within 24 hours. We provide a fully managed care and support service in over 30 locations in the heart of communities across England and Scotland. Our experts local to you can put care packages in place quickly, working in collaboration with local healthcare professionals who are involved in your care.

WHAT DOES A BARIATRIC CARER DO?

Your carer can support you with a range of daily activities designed to enhance your independence and quality of life including discreet personal care, light housekeeping, cooking and meal planning and accompanying you to appointments. If you need bariatric surgery post-op care, we can help facilitate your recovery process in the comfort and safety of your own home.

WILL I HAVE A REGULAR CARER?

Yes. As part of our considered care planning process we take time to match a team of carers that best meets a clients’ specific needs. We ensure that the care team that cares for you or your loved one has the skills and experience to meet your care and support needs, but we also make sure that they share similar interests, hobbies and values.

You can rest assured that you or your loved one will receive care all year round from a team of well-matched, competent and compassionate carers who truly understand your needs and how you wish to live your life. We know our approach provides consistency and continuity of care and leads to a stimulating and enjoyable life for our clients.

WHAT IS A BARIATRIC CARE AND SUPPORT PLAN?

A bariatric care and support plan is a written statement created by our experienced registered nurse following our thorough assessment of your needs. It outlines all your specific care needs but also covers all your choices and preferences in how you live your life.

The care plan identifies specific care and support tasks involved in your care detailing when, where and how they should be carried out and by whom. It ensures you get the right care, in the right time and in the right place – your home. Our registered nurse will conduct a comprehensive review of the plan working with your care team to ensure it always accurately reflects your needs and you achieve your outcomes.

HOW MUCH DOES BARIATRIC CARE COST?

The cost of bariatric care is dependent on the level of care and support you require. Our experts will conduct a comprehensive assessment of your needs at your home, or in hospital if you are awaiting discharge, to truly understand what you need and therefore how much care at home will cost.

We know that the cost of our professional bariatric care is very competitive when compared with other providers. It is worth noting that when comparing the cost of home care with a care package in a care home, that the fee you pay for bariatric care is actually for the care and support you receive. In a care home, your weekly fee mainly covers your accommodation, food and social activities with the care package being only a small part of what you pay.

You may be entitled to either healthcare funding, social care funding or Government funding to contribute to the cost of care. If you are faced with having to self-fund your own care, there are initiatives available that could provide the funds you need for your care and support.

USEFUL RESOURCES

There are several organisations and charities in the UK that support those who are obese and need bariatric care, including Obesity UK, Hoop UK and The Obesity Health Alliance.