Gabriela is Douglas’s live-in care worker, and at his house in beautiful Cornwall, something delicious is always cooking.
Live-in care is when a care worker moves in full-time, which can represent a big change. We’re proud of our live-in care workers for their skill and experience, especially when they go the extra mile, like Gabi.
Douglas previously had home care visits from another company. Unfortunately, it was apparent to his family that the care wasn’t of the quality he deserved, and they were disappointed in the ready-meals that were provided to their loved one.
After finding Agincare and deciding to make the leap to full-time live-in care, we carefully matched Douglas to Gabi. The rest is history!
New appetite for life
Gabi and Douglas have plenty of shared interests. For example – they’re both avid footie fans, and have had a ball cheering on England in recent weeks.
However, Gabi’s care, skill and patience hasn’t just improved Douglas’s day-to-day life; it’s improved mealtime!
Originally from Romania, Gabi’s culinary background is within a culture of healthy, homegrown and nutritious meals. Vegetables, salads and many herbs make frequent appearances in the cooking she’s used to, so when the opportunity arose to grow some greens in Douglas’s garden, Gabi grabbed it.
Using Douglas’s sunny patio to their advantage, the pair have been thrilled with the fruits of their labour.
Now boasting an impressive vegetable patch of tomato, chili pepper, aubergine, parsnip and carrot, and a luscious herb garden of garlic, basil, chive, coriander, lemongrass and dill to name but a few, Gabi and Douglas can both reap the benefits.
Cooking with care
Gabi includes these organic treats in her cooking whenever she can. She makes homemade lemonade every other day, with her own blend of aromatic herbs. This is a firm favourite of Douglas’s, loved almost as much as the meals his son, a professional chef, cooks every Sunday when the whole family comes to visit.
Sometimes Gabi is asked to cook something classic from home, and while she is a dab hand at English cooking, a traditional Romanian beef salad (reserved for holidays such as Christmas and Easter) is one of her specialties.
Now, mealtime nourishes not just physical health, but evidence suggests, mental health, too.
There is always fresh produce to season mouthwatering dishes with, thanks to Gabi.
Douglas usually has breakfast on the patio, enjoying the views of nature. As a result of Gabi’s gardening, he’s been adding more and more vegetable plants to their shopping lists, and entrusting them to Gabi’s care. Next up, she tells us, is strawberry plants!
One of the advantages of live-in care is exactly this; making the most of the life you already live, and remaining at home where you have control of your surroundings. With care workers like Gabi, this is not only maintained, but it’s improved.
Douglas is able to combine the familiarity of his home with the full-time care Gabi provides, and have some fun doing it. Household work is managed, his personal and medical care is ensured, and with Gabi around, he has both companionship and kinship. Family visits, gardening, shared hobbies and (of course) delicious home cooking. These are now big parts of his life with live-in care.
What live-in care offers
- One-to-one, personalised support, 24 hours a day, to meet all your individual needs
- Staying in your own home, alongside any family or pets
- Keeping your independence and continuing to be part of your local community, with your social life and timetable
- The companionship of your live in carer, helping prevent isolation and loneliness
- Support with getting the medication, nutrition and hydration you need
- Care taken of domestic chores such as cooking, cleaning and laundry
- Lowered risk of falls and hospitalisation
- Peace of mind for your family and loved ones that may not be local, knowing help is at hand 24/7
Last year’s live-in care survey results are a powerful endorsement of the positive difference we make to people’s lives.