As we strive to be unlike any other care agency, and work to provide better recruitment and care services than any other before us, we realise that we need to be more motivated and consistent than anyone and everyone else!
If we are to achieve our mission to be the catalyst for change in agency care, and to set new standards of reliability, quality of care and putting people first, then we will need to truly understand our purpose that drives us every day.
Continue reading “Our Purpose”Last month, the search started for a new care consultant to help support our care team and clients to continue to deliver outstanding service. We met 5 very competent people, but one person really epitomized the values, drive, and ambition of Ocala Healthcare.
Continue reading “Say hello to our new Care Consultant!”Since launching Ocala Healthcare, we have always known that we wanted to deliver the very best agency care services around, and for care workers to experience employment that valued and appreciated them for the care they give everyday. What hasn’t always been obvious is how we would achieve this and what the vision looked like in reality.
Continue reading “Ocala Healthcares Mission”Adam and Sam left full time employment in July 2017 and began working on a vision that would later become Ocala Healthcare! They had been working together since 2015 and in that time, found they shared a deep passion for outstanding care, but also putting care worker first.
In late August 2017, Adam and Sam went to New York and over the following nine weeks travelled up to Boston and preceded down the East Coast through Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Washington, Raleigh, Savannah, Jacksonville, Ocala, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale and Miami, before coming home! Although Sam had travelled far and wide before, this was Adam’s first time travelling and scratched a big itch!
Continue reading “Sneak Peek at Our New Handbook!”It seems a very long time ago now that Sam and I sat on my sofa in my one bedroom flat in Ipswich, talking about what we found to be so frustrating about agency care. The lack of transparency, the lack of value for care staff and the constant push to make more and more money for bloated CEO’s.
We started talking about what we would do differently if we ran the business. How carers are at the centre of delivering outstanding care and that 99% of people want to deliver the best care. But they get alienated, by being treated like a number and paid wages that force them to work upwards of 55 hours a week, instead of being with their families.
Continue reading “Who are Ocala Healthcare 3 years on?”Agency pay often varies greatly! In this blog we will tell you about government set National Living Wage and the independently calculated Real Living Wage.
Continue reading “Pay Rates 2021”Arthritis is very often associated with the elderly, however not many people know, that there are over 100 different diseases and conditions that can be described as arthritis and they can affect people of any age. One of the most common forms of it is Rheumatoid Arthritis. As a part of our support of the RA Awareness Week, we have decided to prepare this note in which we hope to shred some light onto this condition and provide few helpful tips and advices for living with it.
Rheumatoid Arthritis occurs when the membranes lining the joints become inflamed, which results in pain, stiffness and swelling. It causes daily suffering, as it can highly affect one’s ability to complete some activities, that to a healthy person wouldn’t be a problem. It can become painful to do things like lifting, writing or sometimes even walking. Luckily, there are some things you can do to manage your symptoms!
Continue reading “All Of Us v Arthritis”I don’t think there are many people left in this world that haven’t heard Ed Sheeran’s “Castle On The Hill” hit. The greatest fans probably already know, but to those who don’t, this song is actually about Suffolk. Specifically, a small place called Framlingham, where the singer grew up! However, apart from featuring in lyrics written by one of the most popular artists of our days, Suffolk has also got a lot to offer, both to the tourists and people that live here.
As the world focuses this week on raising awareness about mental health, it’s almost impossible to not link this campaign to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Nations of many countries have been facing and continue to face weeks of lockdown, social distancing, closed public places, and having to hide their faces behind masks and visors… Frequent handwashing and checks of our temperature have become an inseparable part of our daily routines and queuing outside of supermarkets or pharmacies doesn’t surprise anyone anymore. Our lives have been impacted on all possible levels – financial, social, emotional, physical, and, of course, mental. There’s no argument about how challenging are the times we live in, but we definitely can and should have a discussion about what we can do about it!
First of all, if you haven’t done it yet, try and create a new routine for your life that prioritises your health and wellbeing. Staying mainly at home means you should be able to devote a lot of your time to physical exercises, cooking healthy meals, relaxation techniques, learning new things, or simply enjoying your hobbies (like watching movies or reading books). You should also make sure that you stay connected to your family and friends. Loneliness can make everything seem worse than it actually is. The best way to keep in touch is over the phone or through social media. Also, to keep your stress levels as low as possible, try to keep away from speculations and conspiracy theories and only check most recent updates and information about the pandemic on official, government websites.
If you have to carry on working, try and maintain your usual habits and ways. When working from home, still make the effort to put smart clothes on, set up a comfortable and professional environment for yourself, and keep to your regular office hours. If you’re a key worker and still have to leave your house daily, remember to take your lunch with you, stay hydrated, and be as positive as you can. This will help you stay connected to your sense of normality and keep calm.
Another thing about having to stay at home for most of the time is that your relationships with other people will change. Spending too much or not enough time with people that are important to us can be upsetting and difficult. With some people, you might sometimes need a little break from their company, while with others you might miss them and need their presence. It’s important for your mental and emotional wellbeing that you pay extra attention to what you can do, to ensure that your relationships stay strong and healthy. Remember to really listen and be present when interacting with other people, but also respect your own, personal space and don’t feel bad or guilty about needing some alone time.
Finally, as much as COVID-19 has been proven to have a relatively low fatality rate, it still claims the lives of thousands of people on a daily basis. Loss of a loved one and grieving are very hard even when everything else in our lives seems to be good. It’s understandable that during such a stressful time it will be much harder to come to terms with such a painful experience. Remember that there are plenty of charities and organisations out there through which you can connect with people in similar situations and you don’t have to deal with it alone. Give yourself time and don’t pressurize yourself into “staying strong”. Your feelings are valid and it’s absolutely normal and fine to ask for help (Samaritans, your GP practice, online counselor, etc).
There are, of course, many other important issues that deserve to be addressed and that you might need guidance and assistance with and that’s okay. Don’t be embarrassed or afraid to reach out and seek information on how to receive financial support, home school your children, deal with the pandemic related stress while already suffering from some mental health issues, or how to support the elderly in our society. To find out more, I encourage you to visit Mental Health Foundation’s website ( https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/coronavirus ) or reach out to us, Ocala Healthcare, and we will do our best to support you in those uncertain times.
Let’s all be kind to one another!
#KindnessMatters
#MentalHealthAwarenessWeek2020
With the COVID-19 continuing to take it’s toll, schools and public places closed down, shelves in some shops still being mainly empty and some household name companies are going into administration, plenty of people actually enjoy the idea of self-isolation and social distancing. In times like this, seems like staying in and waiting for the pandemic to “blow over” is the best way to deal with it all. However, there are people out there that aren’t being given a choice in that matter. People that must get up every morning and leave their homes and families to stand at the front line in the fight against the coronavirus. They’re known as key workers. The backbone of all nations. Amongst them – health and social care workers.
