Home care services are increasingly used by the elderly and infirm to help maintain their independence and ensure wellbeing and security within their own home.
When you feel you may be in need of such services the question of funding is one of the first concerns.  It is possible you may be able to receive help from your local authority, but this will depend on both your needs and personal finances.  There are also several options for how such help could be offered.

Local Authority Care Assessment

The starting point for assistance from social services is the community care assessment.  This is completely free and confidential.  Importantly, your local authority is obliged to carry out this assessment regardless of your financial circumstances.

The care assessment is generally conducted by a social worker who will visit your home to assess your needs.  This is not about carrying out lots of tests or invading your privacy; rather it involves listening to your views and wishes, learning about your day-to-day life and assessing how the council could help.

The social worker will consider your needs and how serious they are.  This in turn helps decide the type of assistance the council can provide – if any.  The criteria for this will vary between different councils but if it’s judged your needs are sufficient then you will be entitled to local authority help.

At this point your financial circumstances are taken into account.  If you have more than a certain level of capital then you will have to pay the full cost of these services.  Below this level you will need to contribute part of the cost and below a bottom limit you will not have to pay anything.  Currently the levels are as follows, though there are minor differences nationally:

• If you have financial assets (including property) of more than £23,500 you will usually be expected to pay all fees for care.
• If your assets are between £14,250 and £23,500 then you will receive some help.  This works out at a contribution of £1.00 per week for every £250 over £14,250 you have.  So, if you had assets of £16,000 you would pay £7.00 per week.
• If your assets are below £14,250 you will pay nothing for your care.

The care provided by the local authority may be directly from the council or from separate agencies which they contract for the work, but the same principles of funding will always apply.

Even if you are not considered eligible for council help because your needs are not serious enough, the social worker will still take time to explain all the other options available to you. 

Current government guidance strongly urges local authorities to consider offering what care they can, even if only on a short-term basis, since this is seen as helping people strengthen their quality of life, making them less likely to need more intensive help in the near future.

If you are judged to be ineligible for care the council should explain the reasons in writing as well as informing you of the procedures for challenging that decision if you disagree.  If your circumstances change you are fully entitled to put in a new claim.

You should also remember there are various benefits to which you could be entitled.  Attendance Allowance, for instance, only takes into consideration your physical or mental health – your personal finances are not a factor with this benefit, which could help significantly with care costs.

Putting Care at Home into Action

Once it is decided you are eligible for care at home the council will draw up a personal care plan.  You will be closely consulted about this and it will be designed to address the needs identified.

This could be help with washing and dressing, meals, keeping your home clean or any number of other areas.

Over time this care plan will be kept under review.  Obviously this means if your condition deteriorates and you need more care then this will be provided.  However, should you improve and no longer need that care then it can be withdrawn.  You should be reassured this is considered very carefully and once in place care is not taken away lightly.

Direct Payments

A relatively new initiative being adopted by councils is Direct Payments.  Once the council has determined you are entitled to care services you may wish to arrange these for yourself.
In this case the council will calculate the amount of money you are entitled to, considering the care needs which have been established.  This amount is then paid directly into your bank account for you to spend on your care.  You can choose whichever care provider you like and manage everything yourself.

Direct Payments can be used to pay for:

• Services from private or voluntary providers
• Equipment to help with your care
• Adaptations to your home

This provides you with enormous flexibility, including the option to add your own funds in order to pay for ‘premium’ services.

The downside is that you need to be able to manage this.  In the most extreme case, if you choose to employ your own carer directly rather than through an agency then you are technically an employer, bringing in issues of tax and National Insurance.  You would also need an insurance policy in case your carer suffered an accident, for instance.  However, your local authority will usually do its best to help here and will be able to negotiate the degree of independence you wish to take on.  This may even involve a mixture of council care and Direct Payments for private services.  Equally, you may have plenty of family support to deal with the complexities presented by Direct Payments.

You should note that in most circumstances it is not possible to use Direct Payments to pay a close family member for care provision.

Nobilis Homecare

If you live in the Hampshire area then Direct Payments are a great way to help with the costs of a trusted and respected home care provider such as Nobilis Homecare.  We take pride in the reassurance and support offered by our in-home care services and we are always looking for ways to make them available to as wide a section of the community as possible.

If home care services could make a positive difference to your life or to the life of a loved one please do get in touch to discuss the possibilities.  Our friendly team is there first and foremost to advise you – we don’t believe in hard sell – so if you have any questions or want to ask about any aspect of care for the elderly and infirm we would love to help. 

Call now on 0845 8620647