How Professional Care at Home Improves Quality of Life
Professional care at home that keeps your loved one safe and comfortable.
With care bed shortages across Scotland, find out how professional care at home improves quality of life for your loved ones.
A shortage of care funding in Scotland has resulted in care home closures and a lack of beds for our aging population. As a result, there has been an increased demand for high-quality professional care at home.
Professional care at home doesn’t just give family members peace of mind. It can also improve the quality of life for their loved one.
At Medway Care Services, our mission is to support people to stay in their own home with as much independence and dignity as possible.
Keep reading this blog to find out the different ways that professional care at home improves quality of life.
The need for home-based care in Scotland
In 2025, Scotland’s Care Home census reported that there has been an 18% reduction in care homes in the past 10 years, and the number of care home places fell by 5%.
Over a million people in Scotland are now aged 65 and over. The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) are demanding an additional £750 million in social care funding to try and meet this demand.
With these shortages in mind, it is clear there is an increasing demand for professional care at home as a method of alleviating the pressure on alternative care settings, and creating the best possible quality of life for each person who needs it.
How Professional Care at Home Improves Quality of Life
Personalised support in a familiar environment
With professional care at home, your loved one can remain in surroundings they feel comfortable in.
Instead of following the standardised routine of a care home, professional home care ensures less disruption to daily life. Your loved one can wake up, eat, and go to bed on a schedule that suits them.
Home care helps clients stay surrounded by treasured memories, maintain links to their local community, and even keep up with their favourite hobbies.
This is particularly important for the quality of life of people with conditions like dementia, where moving to an unfamiliar environment can cause confusion, frustration, and fear.
Unlimited visiting hours
Typically, care homes will have set times that family and friends can come and visit.
With care at home, friends and family can pop in anytime to chat. Professional carers will also communicate directly with you to share updates on your loved one’s care. They can even let you know when a surprise visit will brighten their day.
Better health outcomes
If your loved one’s health is deteriorating and they are still trying to live independently, they can find themselves at risk of accidents, falls, and unexpected hospital admissions.
A professional home carer will have the expertise to monitor your loved one’s health, to pick up on any issues and provide support accordingly.
Additionally, a professional carer can complete key household tasks that could pose a safety risk, such as light housework, preparing meals, administering medication, and showering.
At Medway Care Services, our highly-trained professional carers have extensive experience in elderly care, including specialised conditions such as:
Dementia
Alzheimer’s
Parkinson’s
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Stroke
Diabetes
Cancer
Rehabilitation
Improves wellbeing
Isolation disproportionally impacts the over 50s demographic in Scotland. Over half of those surveyed by Age Scotland stated that they regularly experienced loneliness, which leads to a significant decline in quality of life.
A huge part of a professional care at home service is companionship. From engaging with hobbies like gardening to watching TV, or simply sharing stories over a cup of tea, the connection your loved one develops with their home carer helps them stay engaged and preserves their dignity and independence for as long as possible.
At Medway Care Services, where possible, we try to ensure your relative is matched with one consistent carer who shares their interests. That way, they can build a strong, long-lasting relationship that gives families peace of mind.
Supports family carers
Finally, professional care at home doesn’t just increase quality of life for the individual receiving care. It can hugely improve wellbeing across different generations of the family.
There are an estimated 800,000 unpaid family carers in Scotland. Caring for a loved one is a huge amount of responsibility. If you have other priorities like work and childcare, the result can be carer burnout. Indeed, 65% of unpaid carers feel overwhelmed because they are unable to take a break.
Working with a professional care at home company takes some of this pressure off your shoulders, and ensures that your loved one is safe, comfortable, and being well looked after.
Professional care at home for your loved one is not just about medical support and personal safety. The right home carer will also enhance the quality of life of the person in their care.
As the demand for professional care at home is set to increase, choosing the right provider for your needs is essential.
At Medway Care Services, we provide person-centred, compassionate care at home packages across Edinburgh and The Lothians.
Every care plan is designed by experienced nurses, and our carers are subject to PVG checks and extensive training before they ever meet your loved one.
If you would like to find out more about a care at home service that prioritises dignity, compassion, and support, get in touch. We will be delighted to help.
