Nursing care at home, from giving medicines and changing dressings to support after a hospital stay, always within the plan set by the person's own doctor or hospital.
Two different services. A reminder means a caregiver prompts the person to take their own medicines. Administration means a nurse gives the medicines exactly as prescribed.
What's included
Reminders: prompting at the right times, checking the medicine was taken and noting it on a chart
Administration (nurse): giving tablets, liquids, inhalers, eye drops or injections exactly as prescribed
Keeping an up-to-date medicines list for the family and doctor
Reporting missed doses, side effects or running low
How we assess
A nurse reviews the current prescriptions, who manages the medicines now, how they are stored, and whether the person can safely take them with a reminder or needs a nurse to give them.
Who provides it
Reminders: a caregiver. Administration: a nurse, working from a current prescription.
Important limits
We never start, stop or change a dose. Only the prescribing doctor can do that.
Injections and controlled medicines are given only by a nurse, with a valid prescription.
We do not buy medicines without the family's written authorisation, and we keep the receipts.
Health checks: blood pressure, temperature and pulse
Nursing service
Visiting
Live-in
Regular, recorded checks of blood pressure, temperature and pulse, and blood sugar where the doctor has asked for it, with an agreed plan for what to do if a reading is outside the usual range.
What's included
Checks at times agreed in the care plan
A written record the family and doctor can see
Escalation when a reading is outside the range the doctor has set
Checking that home equipment works and is used correctly
How we assess
A nurse agrees with the family and, where possible, the person's doctor which checks are needed, how often, and the readings that mean someone must be called.
Who provides it
A nurse, or a trained caregiver for routine checks within a nurse's plan.
Important limits
Monitoring is not a diagnosis. Readings go to the person's doctor, who decides what they mean.
If someone seems seriously unwell, we call emergency services first and the family second.
Catalogue item 9: Vital signs monitoring (blood pressure, temperature, pulse)Ask about this service
Wound care and dressing changes
Nursing service
Visiting
Live-in
Clean, careful dressing changes for surgical wounds, ulcers and other wounds, following the plan from the person's doctor or hospital.
What's included
Dressing changes using clean technique
Watching for signs of infection and reporting them promptly
Keeping a record of how the wound is healing
Advice to the family on keeping the area clean between visits
How we assess
A nurse reviews the wound, the hospital or doctor's instructions and the dressings available before the first visit.
Who provides it
A nurse.
Important limits
Complex or worsening wounds are referred back to the person's doctor or a specialist.
Day-to-day help to follow the plan agreed with the person's doctor for conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart failure or stroke recovery.
What's included
Medicine routines (reminders or nurse administration)
Blood sugar and blood pressure checks where the doctor has asked for them
Meals that fit the doctor's or dietitian's advice
Foot checks for people with diabetes, and appointment reminders
How we assess
A nurse reviews the condition, current treatment, recent readings and the doctor's instructions, and agrees which checks we record.
Who provides it
A nurse sets and reviews the plan; caregivers support the daily routine.
Important limits
The person's doctor stays responsible for diagnosis and treatment decisions.
We do not change treatment, diet plans or medicine doses.
Catalogue item 12: Chronic disease management support (diabetes, hypertension, etc.)Ask about this service
Coordinating with doctors and specialists
Nursing service
Visiting
Live-in
With the person's consent, we keep their doctors informed, help arrange appointments and make sure advice reaches everyone who needs it.
What's included
Sharing our observations and records with the person's doctor
Helping to book and prepare for appointments
Going to appointments with the person if they would like
Passing updates to family members the person has authorised
How we assess
We record who the person's doctors are, who may receive information about their care, and how the person wants decisions to be made.
Who provides it
A nurse or care coordinator.
Important limits
We need the person's consent, or proof of legal authority to act for them, before sharing health information.
We support the relationship with the doctor; we do not replace it.
Reminders or administration: an important difference
Families often ask for "help with medicines" without realising it can mean two quite different things.
A medication reminder is for a person who can still take their own medicines. A caregiver prompts them at the right times, checks the medicine was taken and writes it on a chart.
Medication administration means a nurse gives the medicines, exactly as prescribed. This includes injections, and any situation where the person can no longer safely manage their own medicines.
A nurse decides which is safe at the assessment, after looking at the prescriptions, how medicines are stored and how the person manages now. The request form lists these as separate choices, so a request for nurse-given medicines goes straight to someone who can plan nursing care. Our guide to medication support explains the difference in more detail.
Working within the doctor's plan
Our nurses support the treatment the person's doctor or hospital has set. They don't diagnose illnesses, prescribe medicines or change doses, diets or treatment plans. If something in the plan doesn't seem to be working, they tell the doctor and the family.
To do this well, we ask for the current prescriptions, any discharge summary, wound or catheter instructions, and the name of the person's doctor. With the person's consent, we keep their doctor informed of what we observe, and help arrange appointments. That is described under coordinating with doctors and specialists.
Checks, records and knowing when to call for help
Regular checks of blood pressure, temperature, pulse or blood sugar are useful only if everyone knows what the numbers mean for this person. At the assessment, a nurse agrees with the family, and where possible the doctor, which checks are needed, how often, and the readings that mean someone must be called.
A reading is information, not a diagnosis. Readings are recorded and passed to the doctor, who decides what they mean. If the person seems seriously unwell, staff follow the emergency plan: they call 112 first and the family second. Please do the same: our website and request form are not monitored for emergencies.
Exercises: supporting the physiotherapist's plan
After a stroke, a fall or an operation, a physiotherapist often prescribes exercises to rebuild strength and movement. Progress depends on doing them regularly, which is hard on your own.
A caregiver or nurse can help the person through the exercises exactly as written in the physiotherapist's plan, encourage them, and note how they managed. They are not physiotherapists: they don't design exercise programmes or treat injuries, and if an exercise causes pain, they stop and report it.
Common questions
Can a caregiver give my father his injections?
No. Injections, including insulin, are given only by a nurse, working from a valid prescription. A caregiver can remind your father about tablets he takes himself, which is a different service. See medication reminders and administration.
Do we need the doctor's instructions before you start?
For nursing tasks, yes. We ask for the current prescription or medicines list, any discharge summary and any wound or catheter instructions. If you don't have them, tell us and we'll talk about how to get them.
Can you record blood pressure readings and share them with us abroad?
Readings are written down at every check and shared with the person's doctor. Family members the person has authorised can see them too, in the way we agree with you. Arranging care from abroad explains how consent works.
What happens if my mother becomes unwell during a visit?
The nurse or caregiver follows the plan agreed at the assessment. If she seems seriously unwell, they call emergency services first and then the family. For less urgent changes, they inform her doctor and you.
Can you help when someone is discharged from hospital?
Day-to-day help to follow the plan agreed with the person's doctor for diabetes, high blood pressure, heart failure, stroke recovery and similar conditions.
