Overcoming The Odds

---

How Home Instead Hammersmith and Chiswick rallied to confront COVID-19 (Ad)

As we emerge from the darkest days of the COVID-19 global pandemic, many stories of courage, perseverance and loss have told of the enduring fortitude of the human spirit. From frontline NHS staff taking on the tidal wave of infections that threatened to overwhelm the health service to rolling out the greatest vaccination drive the world has ever seen, the pandemic has touched every health professional in one way or another.

Home Instead Hammersmith and Chiswick suddenly found themselves facing down a crisis that threatened the very people who have come to rely on them most. As harrowing statistics emerged of how the deadly pathogen was devastating the elderly, it became clear that the Hammersmith and Chiswick Home Instead team were about to face the biggest challenge of their careers.

As guardians of the people most at risk of succumbing to COVID-19, the responsibility of not only managing infections but of preventing those under their care from contracting the virus fell to the collective of passionate staff and caregivers of the Hammersmith and Chiswick branch of London.

Revered as the mainstay home care providers of choice across four counties, including Hammersmith, Fulham, Chiswick and Ealing, the Home Instead team pride themselves on the deep connections forged within the communities they serve. This passion shone through as they navigated the seemly endless road that is COVID-19.

Preparing for the Worst – Equipping the Team

During the early days of the outbreak, their management team went to great lengths to secure PPE's, including masks, aprons and gloves, for carers and administrators alike. Scarce equipment like visors and disinfectant gels were made immediately available, while weekly training webinars and team meetings were held regularly to ensure that the team was appraised and kept informed of the fast-evolving crisis. Once the vaccine became accessible, members of the branch were given time off to receive their jabs, allowing them to get back to taking care of their clients. Staff were tested each and every week, and conservative precautions taken to minimize the risk of positive cases among the team.

During the pandemic, two of the branch's valued clients were tested and confirmed to have contracted COVID-19. Action plans were triggered, and all source contacts traced and thoroughly investigated. When considered in the context of how many people the branch serves, a mere two confirmed cases among so many clients speaks to the effectiveness of the Hammersmith and Chiswick Home Instead team's measures in keeping their clients safe.

Implementing a Proactive Strategy that Works – How One Branch Made a Difference

In doing their best to further an action plan that undoubtedly saved many lives over the past 18 months, the Hammersmith and Chiswick branch implemented many proactive measures and policies that went above and beyond to ensure their clients' health and privacy concerns were properly and adequately addressed.

•  Managing Caregiver Allocation : One of the most effective COVID-prevention tools at the team's disposal – limiting exposure to the virus – was used to good effect through the innovative and creative management of caregiver allocation. Each client was assigned a limited number of specific caregivers who strictly controlled their own risk of exposure.

•  Taking on Additional Tasks : As strict social distancing protocols became the norm, many clients suddenly found themselves without the help of their families to assist with basic tasks such as shopping and cleaning – tasks they had come to rely on their loved ones to undertake. Without so much as a mention, the branch's team picked up these responsibilities and performed them with the same commitment as their mandated duties.

•  Keeping Clients Safe & Contact-Free : Once it was safe for their clients to venture outside of their homes, the Hammersmith and Chiswick branch always made sure to have people accompany their wards on walks, visits to the park and at potentially congested venues. This worked to good effect in ensuring that accidental and unintentional contacts from strangers and the public were virtually eliminated.

•  Assisted with Monitoring & Testing : The team's diligent adherence to stringent monitoring and testing protocols is what set them apart during the height of the pandemic. Without fail, every symptom was carefully evaluated, and extensive assistance was given to clients in helping them to get tested for COVID-19.

•  Worked Overtime : Despite the pressures and strain placed on the caregivers and staff charged with ensuring the wellbeing of so many, the Hammersmith and Chiswick team selflessly sacrificed valuable time with their own families by unreservedly extending their visiting hours. In so doing, they made sure that clients interacted with as few people as possible. In devoting themselves to additional shifts and covering for isolating colleagues and client family members, the team outdid themselves in providing an incredible degree of companionship as well.

•  Continuing to Pay Isolating Team Members : Wherever the threat of infection arose within their own ranks, the Hammersmith and Chiswick branch took no chances, ensuring that at-risk caregivers remained at home and protected by continuing to pay those people who were isolating. Despite the economic hardships faced by many businesses, the Home Instead team worked tirelessly to ensure that their treasured human assets were compensated in full and well taken care of.

•  Keeping People In Touch : In arguably the most important and touching acts of kindness, the team ensured that their clients were always able to connect with family members during lockdown periods. Through assisting in making video calls from their own phones and keeping families appraised of their clients' wellbeing, the team's devotion to their duties shone through, offering hope and happiness to the people who needed it most.

Conclusion

As providers of 24-hour caregiver services, Home Instead Hammersmith and Chiswick have – since the very beginnings of the pandemic and since – outdone themselves in delivering bespoke, dependable service to longstanding clients and new ones.

Whether arranging for caregivers to work extended hours at short notice, filling in for isolating family members, or providing a remarkable degree of companionship, the dedicated professionals of Home Instead's North London team have distinguished themselves and exceeded the expectations of their clients, their families and the community alike.

Through an uncompromising commitment to excellence, as evidenced by their unmatched passion and devotion, during these most difficult of times, the Hammersmith and Chiswick branch stands as an example of the very best that Home Instead has to offer.

Advertisement

September 29, 2021