Bariatric Care at Home

Care by condition

Getting the right care at home should not be a fight. People living in larger bodies are often turned away, or accepted and then sent carers who arrive without the equipment or the training the job needs — and that is hard on everyone, most of all the person waiting for help. It does not have to go that way.

None of this is complicated. It takes the right equipment, enough people, good technique, and carers who treat the visit as an ordinary day at work — because that is exactly what it is.

What actually matters at home

• Equipment has to be rated for the weight it will carry, not approximately right. Beds, lifts, slings, commodes and wheelchairs all have safe working loads, and using something under-rated puts everyone at risk.
• Two carers are often the right answer, and it is worth saying so up front. Asking one person to manage a two-person transfer puts everybody at risk — the person being moved most of all.
• Skin folds need real attention, because moisture and friction cause skin breakdown quickly, and those areas are genuinely hard to see and reach on your own. It is one of the most useful things a carer can take off your hands.
• Mobility is often better than people assume. Doing too much for someone chips away at it, so we support what a person can still do rather than taking it over.
• Dignity matters more than anything else here. Many people in larger bodies have had poor experiences with healthcare before, and understandably arrive expecting another one. Changing that is part of the job, not a bonus.

How we help

• Working out what equipment the home needs before care starts, so nothing has to be discovered halfway through a first visit
• Two-carer visits where the transfer genuinely requires two, arranged as standard rather than as an exception
• Personal care including thorough skin fold care, drying and inspection, which prevents the most common complications
• Safe transfers using correctly rated lifts and slings, by carers trained on that equipment
• Support with mobility and movement to preserve the independence a person has
• Meal preparation, without comment or judgement, to whatever plan the person and their dietitian or surgical team have set
• Support before and after weight-loss surgery where that is part of the picture
• Carers who see the person first, and who make the visit feel like an ordinary part of the day

Who provides the care

Personal support workers provide this care, in pairs where the transfer requires it. Nursing is placed where the plan includes it, including skin and wound care. Equipment normally comes through an occupational therapist assessment; we will tell you what is needed and work with whoever is arranging it.

Common questions

Other agencies have turned us down. Will you?

We start by looking at what the situation actually needs — the equipment, the number of carers, the training — and we will be straight with you about whether we can staff it safely. What we will never do is say yes and then send one person with the wrong equipment.

Will you send two carers?

Where the transfer needs two, yes, and we arrange it that way from the start rather than as a favour. It keeps the person being moved safe as much as the carers, and it means nobody is rushing or improvising.

Who pays for the equipment?

Equipment is usually arranged through an occupational therapist assessment, and Ontario’s Assistive Devices Program funds part of the cost of many items for eligible people. Ontario Health atHome can arrange the assessment. Ask before buying anything privately.

Will your carers be respectful?

Yes — and it is the part we would most want you to hold us to. We screen for it and we talk about it with our carers. If your experience is ever different, please tell us straight away and we will put it right.

Can you help after weight-loss surgery?

Yes. The early weeks involve a staged diet, keeping an eye on the wound, and slowly rebuilding activity. Having someone at home through that stretch takes a lot of the worry out of it.

Where we provide this care

We provide this support across communities across Ontario, from the Greater Toronto Area to Thunder Bay. If your town is not listed, please call us anyway. We will tell you honestly whether we can staff it properly — we would far rather say so than promise and let you down.

Related

• Hip and knee replacement
• Falls and fractures
• Wound care
• Home care — what it covers
• Respite care for family carers
• 24-hour home care
• All the communities we serve