Who do you turn to when living on your own is no longer an option, but you don’t wish to abandon the place you know and love? Often, the best answer is home care agencies in the UK. Also known as domiciliary care or social care, it allows both young and old patients to receive care in a place of comfort and support.
But for its importance, it faces serious challenges. Custom websites may give providers of this essential service the tools to stay afloat.
Basic Facts about Home Care in the UK
As a service, it enables people to “age in place” and receive professional care as close as possible to the homes of patients. Therefore, it plays a big role in the NHS’s strategy to help the frail and elderly, reduce hospital stays, and improve care plan outcomes.
So it is clear why it is at the forefront of social care delivery. In 2015, more than 350,000 seniors in England used home care services, 257,000 of whom paid for it through their local authority. Meanwhile, 76,300 younger people with physical or learning disabilities or mental health problems were also estimated to rely on it.
There are just over 10,100 home care providers in the UK registered and regulated by their regional regulatory body. But the quantity does not protect it from facing challenges.
Difficulties in the Industry
According to a report, the head of the NAO, Gareth Davies, said the lack of a long-term vision for adult home care remains a key hurdle in its success. Couple that with ineffective oversight, and many people may not get the care that best meets their needs.
The COVID-19 has been a serious source of challenges for the home care industry. In fact, the Department of Health and Social Care has increased its focus on building sustainable systems of care in response to this healthcare crisis. A growing aging population does not help, either. More people in need of care means more people have to provide care.
Monitoring the quality of care, keeping track of abuse cases, supporting home care professionals, and expanding the involvement of patients and their families also add pressure on home care agencies in the UK. In such a challenging environment, providers will need helpful tools to upgrade the way they serve.
Where Custom Websites Come In
Fortunately, providers of home care may have just what they need in custom websites. Unlike template-based designs, these are coded and designed from the ground up with professional programming and specialized widgets. Therefore, they give more in terms of customization, which is key in tailoring patient experience.
Furthermore, custom websites allow home care agencies to:
- Give patients immediate access to relevant information
- Streamline how inquiries, appointments, and referrals are handled through specialized online forms
- Make patient communication more convenient
- Cut costs and waiting times
- Expand care accessibility for the disabled and chronically ill
If you are interested, let Proweaver be your web design partner. We offer more than a decade of experience in helping home care agencies maintain virtual platforms for patients. Work with a dedicated team of programmers, designers, and customer representatives who can create a website that suits your brand in less than a week.
Call now to get to sample layouts for FREE.