FAQ’s

Families and or the person will usually research which homecare provider to approach and they will have a basic understanding of what is required. If a homecare provider is approached, then usually within a couple of days a care assessment will be undertaken by the Registered Manager of the service. This usually takes place between the person receiving support and their family in the home of the person requiring support. During the assessment, the Registered Manager establishes the needs of the person at various times of the day and night and seeks to understand how the person wants to receive support and what is important to them. The person is asked about their likes and dislikes and what they expect from a service. From then, outcomes are established, and a fully detailed and bespoke support plan is written up with details of the person and their care requirements. The service is flexible insomuch as the package can be increased or decreased dependent upon the person’s needs.

Home care is usually charged on a time basis. Homecare providers have prices for 30, 45 and 60 minutes. Costs for an hour of care varies between circa £20 per hour up to £40 per hour.

Between circa £20 and £40 per hour.

People and families seeking care can look on the Care Quality Commission’s website to check the ratings of the provider’s latest CQC Inspection Report. The homecare provider is also obliged to display their rating on their website. It is advisable to check google reviews and reviews on independent review websites such as homecare.co.uk

Carers are not allowed to visit a client outside their working hours or are not allowed to befriend the client or take gifts of the client being cared for. It’s good practice that members of staff abide to a strict professional boundaries policy whilst still providing a compassionate service that is tailored to the individual.

There are currently 3 ways care can be paid for. 1. Fully funded by the Local Authority. The assessment is done on a means-tested basis. 2. Direct payment – the Local Authority contributes an amount to the care costs and the user or their family top-up. 3. Privately. Local Authorities can carry out a financial assessment to guide and advise people in this regard.

Nursing homes carry out nursing activities by staff qualified to do such activities. Such activities can include wound care or administering injections. Homecare staff are not qualified to carry out nursing activities and the scope of their work ranges from catheter care to personal care, meal preparation and administering medications.

Home care can provide an individual with the support they need to remain independent within their own home. It can also provide friends and family members with the reassurance that their loved one is being taken care of.

Home care is appropriate at different stages of an elderly person’s life. Depending on their wants and needs, each individual is different. A home care service can provide companionship or personal care services depending on the needs of the individual. So, it is hard to provide a definitive answer on when a service is appropriate.

Depending upon the frequency of calls within a package will influence the number of carers seen within the day. However, when doing our regular rotas, continuity for our clients is at the forefront of our decision-making. We want our clients and staff to be seeing familiar faces regularly so rapport and a relationship can be developed.