LIVING WELL WITH CEREBRAL PALSY, FOR ALL OF LIFE

At Prestige Nursing & Care we believe that everyone living with cerebral palsy can lead a happy, fulfilled and healthy life with the right support in place, tailored to their individual needs.

As an established provider we have been supporting individuals living with cerebral palsy to have an improved quality of life in their own homes and communities for over 75 years. We have been 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 CEREBRAL PALSY CARE AND SUPPORT

For many living with cerebral palsy the last place they would wish to receive care and support to develop and remain independent would be in a specialist care setting, whether on a temporary or permanent basis.   This unsettling thought can cause anxiety, depression and other mental health problems for those living with cerebral palsy.

Receiving the one-to-one care and support you need in the familiar surroundings of your own home, with your established routines can significantly improve your quality of life and enhance your well-being.  Care at home enables you to remain independent and live your life with choice, whilst supporting you to successfully meet development milestones and for children and young adults, educational achievements.

WHAT IS CEREBRAL PALSY?

Cerebral palsy is caused by abnormal development or damage to the parts of the brain responsible for controlling movement and muscles and affects one in every 400 children in the UK.  The damage involved happens before, during or just after birth and children with cerebral palsy will have issues with fluctuating muscles.  The way the muscles fluctuate will be dependent on the extent of the damage caused to the brain.

The main causes of cerebral palsy include an infection in early pregnancy, lack of oxygen to the brain and abnormal brain development.   Whilst there is no cure for cerebral palsy the condition can be effectively managed through a programme of physiotherapy and other therapies which enable people with cerebral palsy have as much independence as possible.

There are different types of cerebral palsy which may vary in its presentation including:

Spasticity cerebral palsy

This is when the muscle tone is tight and stiff, reducing range of movement. Spasticity can be extremely painful as muscles frequently go into spasm.

Dyskinetic cerebral palsy

Dyskinetic cerebral palsy causes uncontrolled sustained or intermittent muscle contractions, making it difficult for a person with this type to maintain an upright position.  This may also include control of the tongue and vocal cords, which may impact speech and language.

Ataxic cerebral palsy

Ataxia is the inability to activate the correct pattern of muscles during movement which affects spatial awareness and balance.  For a person living with Ataxia, it can be difficult to judge body position with things around you and can affect the whole body.  Walking, speech and language are problematic.

Cerebral palsy can impact parts of the body or the entire body:

  • Hemiplegia – affects one side of the body
  • Diplegia – affects two limbs
  • Monoplegia – one limb is affected
  • Quadriplegia – affects four limbs

Whilst cerebral palsy refers only to motor disability, it can be associated with other developmental problems, intellectual disability, epilepsy, visual or hearing impairments and behavioural problems.

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OUR APPROACH TO CEREBRAL PALSY CARE AT HOME

At Prestige Nursing & Care we provide a care and support package that enables children and adults to live a happy and fulfilled life in the safety and comfort of your own home.  The 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 to enjoy all the activities and socialisation you wish and will actively encourage you to learn new skills and engage in new hobbies to make life stimulating and meaningful.

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 so we can 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.

Supporting children with cerebral palsy

Children with cerebral palsy will have challenges with muscle tone, reflexes, posture and balance, fine motor skills and oral skills. We work closely with the specialist centre involved in the care of a child with cerebral palsy alongside their consultant paediatrician to ensure the comprehensive treatment plan is delivered by a care team that have specific skills to meet their care and support needs.

Our care team will support a child with the mobility as some may not be able to walk to improve their independence and quality of life.  They will support with feeding, as well as those who have a gastrostomy tube.  In addition to personal care and companionship, the carer will focus on social interactions, involving play and supporting developmental milestones and educational achievements.  Our care team is also there to provide much-needed respite to parents who have a child with cerebral palsy so they can have balance in their lives.

Supporting adults with cerebral palsy

Many adults with cerebral palsy are able to have a job, attend college and have careers and families. Our care teams are there to ensure they can lead a fulfilled and meaningful life, not just for themselves but for their families.

Care for adults with cerebral palsy, including personal care and assisting with activities or daily living, supporting and optimising mobility, helping to control pain associated with the condition, promoting and supporting development of life skills and fostering self-care.  The care we provide is focused on enhancing quality of life and improving overall well-being through maximising independence and self-sufficiency.

COMPETENT AND COMPASSIONATE 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 of them 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.

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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 nurse-led home care service is monitored and supported by our experienced regional nursing teams. Led by our Head of Clinical Services who has over 30 years clinical experience, 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 service we provide.

SUPPORTING LIAM & HIS FAMILY WITH CARE AT HOME

Liam is living with quadriplegic cerebral palsy and severe scoliosis

SUPPORTING LIAM & HIS FAMILY WITH CARE AT HOME

Liam is living with quadriplegic cerebral palsy and severe scoliosis and lives at home with his mum and primary carer, Lesley.

Lesley needed some respite from the physical aspects of caring for Liam. Liam was living with spinal rods to help with his cerebral palsy, but this resulted in him frequently suffering chest infections.  He was also struggling with his sleep and de-saturation due to occluded airways so needed Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP). Lesley was exhausted both physically and emotionally. She was getting increasingly concerned about being able to meet his needs into adulthood.  Whilst she knew she needed support to care for Liam, she was concerned about introducing a clinical environment into the home.  She wanted Liam to be cared for by young carers, who would be able to engage and stimulate him, promote his independence and encourage his social nature.   Liam's continuing care nurse recommended Prestige Nursing & Care to Lesley for Liam’s care.

Prestige chose a team of young carers, Callum and Ruth, who would best meet not just his care needs, but who would be aligned to how he wished to live his life.  They were expertly trained to meet his nursing needs, including button peg feeding, suctioning, CPAP – oxygen overnight and emergency oxygen for the daytime, oxygen saturation monitoring, catheter care, eye level presentation for visual impairment and hoisting/handling.  In addition to his complex needs they were required to provide personal care and socialisation.   One of Prestige’s registered nurses provided one-to-one training for Callum and Ruth. They were assessed as competent in the specific nurse-led care that Liam required.  With everything in place Lesley was able to have respite to spend time going out with her husband.

Lesley said: “Prestige carers follow protocol but in such a non-clinical way. Liam needs somebody with a spark, who can laugh and joke with him and this is what they do.  I know how much Liam is benefitting, and this makes me happy.  Prestige has made such a difference to my life. They are friendly, approachable, flexible, committed, trustworthy and reliable.”

WHAT DOES OUR ADULT COMPLEX CARE SERVICE INCLUDE?

HOW WE PROVIDE CARE AT HOME FOR THOSE LIVING WITH CEREBRAL PALSY

Our trusted and established care at home service can be provided in the following ways for those living with cerebral palsy:

  • Hourly care or visiting care, as it is sometimes referred 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 30 minute visit, to as many hours 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.
  • Live-in care for when a permanent care arrangement is needed with greater levels of support around the clock to ensure a person can live well at home.  Through our family of leading home care brands in the UK, we are able to offer award-winning live-in care rated ‘Outstanding’ by The Care Quality Commission (CQC) from The Good Care Group.
  • 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.
Boy in Wheelchair with Pony

EVOLVING CARE TO MEET JANE’S CEREBRAL PALSY NEEDS

Jane is living with cerebral palsy, microcephaly and epilepsy due to

EVOLVING CARE TO MEET JANE’S CEREBRAL PALSY NEEDS

Jane is living with cerebral palsy, microcephaly and epilepsy due to grade-4 hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.

She has severe laryngomalacia, a tracheostomy and requires overnight ventilation with oxygen. She has gastro-oesophageal reflux and has gastro jejeunostomy for all feeds and medication.   Jane also has visual impairment, but can follow at times with eye movement. She is severely delayed in all areas of her development.

When Prestige Nursing & Care started working with Jane, the family dynamics were extremely testing as her parents were going through a divorce.  Her mother was finding it hard to cope and her dad’s negative behaviour was impacting the family dynamics when he visited the home.  As she found it hard to communicate it took time to understand her needs and wishes.  She would scream for hours, which was very upsetting for everyone and her mum was distraught.  The carers would take her out of the home for walks when her dad was around, as it was clearly impacting how Jane was feeling.

The team at Prestige organised a multi-disciplinary meeting with all healthcare professionals involved in Jane’s care, including her GP, district nurse, psychologist, her care manager and parents.  It was agreed that Jane needed to integrate again with community and continue her education.  Previous attempts to do this had been unsuccessful.

The carers looking after Jane also realised she would get distressed when there were too many noises around her. Her carers recognised when she was feeling uncomfortable and found she loved the song ‘High’ by The Lighthouse Family’ – she would smile and giggle when they played it. The song is played when she shows signs of distress and it usually calms her.  Once trust had been established with Jane the care team were able to organise for Jane to spend positive time with her dad.

Jane is now able to attend a school with the right level of pastoral care to meet her needs, and enjoys interacting with other people her age. Prestige is currently preparing her for higher education as she approaches adulthood.  Planning is key in transitioning a child into adult services, so the team at Prestige has been adopting a proactive approach to explaining what will happen and when to Jane, so she feels reassured. She can now communicate her understanding of what the carers are saying by smiling and blinking.   The team are preparing Jane to be more independent by taking her to lots of different places, including restaurants with dad, day centers, local clubs and recently, to shopping malls. She is getting used to a range different people and now really enjoys meeting new people.  The loud sounds which once affected her negatively do not bother her in the same way.

CARE MANAGEMENT LOCAL TO YOU

Our responsive and reliable local nurse-led service for those with cerebral palsy care needs means we can put a care pathway and plan in place quickly and in many cases within 24-hours.

We work in partnership with healthcare professionals, case managers, families and personal injury lawyers to ensure we have an in-depth understanding of a clients’ needs.  Our local registered nurse 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 enabling a plan of care and support to be developed that meets all your needs.

Our approach to care planning, whether it is for an hourly care service, respite care or a permanent live-in care arrangement 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 nursing carer that would best meet your nursing 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 reassurance that you or your loved one is receiving the very best complex care at home.

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, which means our clients, their families and our professional partners can be reassured that the care and support we provide those living with cerebral palsy 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 our services in Scotland have been awarded a five-star rating.

Our accredited service for complex care, which meets local and national quality standards and ensures a consistent approach to the care we provide, provides peace of mind and reassurance that our service if of the highest quality.  Our accredited service for complex care, which meets local and national quality standards and ensures a consistent approach to the care we provide, provides peace of mind and reassurance that our service if of the highest quality.

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COST OF CEREBRAL PALSY CARE

The cost of cerebral palsy care is dependent on the level of care and support you require.  If you are receiving our hourly cerebral palsy 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 cerebral palsy care at home will cost.

We know that our cost of professional cerebral palsy 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 healthcare funding, social care funding or Government funding to contribute to the cost cerebral palsy care.  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.

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RESPONSIVE LOCAL TEAMS WITH NATIONWIDE COVERAGE

We are providing care and support to those living with cerebral palsy 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, responsive home care service.

COMPLEX CARE FAQs

USEFUL RESOURCES

There are several organisations and charities that support those who are living with cerebral palsy, including Cerebral Palsy.org.uk,  Scope and Mencap.

We are here to take your call and will provide impartial support and guidance – contact our friendly care experts today to discuss your cerebral palsy care and support needs.


0808 239 1525