As people get older, they often find it harder to manage everyday tasks and many will require some support to maintain the highest quality of life. If you have started to struggle with tasks you used to carry out with ease, perhaps some additional care and support could help. There’s a range of social care services available, including home care services, and they’re useful at different stages of life. Getting some assistance can make everyday life that little bit easier and help to prevent the common problems people experience as they get older.
Understandably, you might not know what type of care and support you need at this moment in time and thankfully, there are a couple of different types of assessments that can help in this regard. One of these assessments is carried out by your local council and the other by a home care agency, and they are both used to identify what type of care and support is needed to enable you to continue living independently in your own home.
To give you an insight into what these assessments involved, below we have looked into them both in more detail.
A needs assessment
Getting a needs assessment is often considered the first step if you’re interested in social care. This is a free assessment that is carried out by your local council and it is designed to determine what type of care and support would be most beneficial for you. You can apply for a needs assessment online or call your local council.
During a needs assessment, someone from the council will ask you questions about how you’re managing on a day-to-day basis. They will find out more about what tasks you’re struggling with, whether this is washing and dressing or housework and cooking, and get a full picture of you and your needs. Using this information, they will then recommend which type of care and support would help you at this time, and use an eligibility framework to decide whether you’re eligible for support from the local council.
If this needs assessment identifies that you need some assistance, a care plan will be created for you detailing what needs you have and how these needs could be met. The local council will conduct a financial assessment too, also referred to as a means test, to establish whether they will contribute to the cost of the care services you need.
A care assessment
The other gateway to accessing a care service is to directly contact a social care provider, like Beloved Homecare. A care agency can conduct a care assessment, which is also free of charge, and they will come out and visit you to identify your current needs. You can expect a Registered Manager to visit you within a couple of days of you contacting them.
During a care assessment, a Registered Manager will ask similar questions to those asked by the council during a needs assessment to establish what type of care and support you need. They will determine what your current needs are at various times of the day and night, and ensure they have a clear understanding of how you’re managing everyday tasks. A Registered Manager will also speak to you about what’s important to you in terms of care and find out more about your likes and dislikes.
A home care agency will then create a bespoke care plan for you that’s inclusive of your care requirements and desired outcomes. This fully detailed support plan will set out what home care services you will receive should you wish to go ahead. If you start receiving care at home, your care plan can be adapted over time depending on your needs.
Arranging home care services in Trafford
Both of these assessments can help you to establish what type of care and support you need, and they will ensure you’re arranging social care that is appropriate for you at this moment in time. Should you have any questions about these two assessments or if you’d like to discuss arranging home care services in more detail, please don’t hesitate to contact our experienced team at Beloved Homecare.
We offer a range of quality home care services in Trafford and the surrounding areas, and we can provide you with the assistance you need to continue living within the comfort and familiarity of your own home. As a family-run business, we truly care about each of our clients and we will work with you and your family to meet your expectations as quickly as is safe and operationally possible. We can assure you that you will be in the best hands when you turn to us for home care in Trafford, regardless of what your needs may be.