Domiciliary Care service / Home care 

 

Help at home from a paid

Having a paid carer come to visit you in your home can make a huge difference to your life, especially if you have difficulty walking or getting around. It can help you stay living independently in your own home.

This type of care is known as homecare or domiciliary care or sometimes home help.

Help at home from a paid carer costs around £25 an hour, but it varies according to where you live. Sometimes, the council will contribute to the cost.

Homecare is very flexible. You might need a paid carer for only an hour a week or for several hours a day. You might need a live-in carer.

It can be temporary – for example for a few weeks while you recover from an illness. Or it can be long term.

You might also consider home adaptations or household gadgets or equipment to make life easier.

When should I consider help at home from a paid carer?

You might want to consider care at home if:

  • you’re finding it difficult to cope with daily routines, such as washing, dressing and getting out and about
  • you do not want to move into a care home
  • you can still get about your home and it’s safe for you to live in – or it can be adapted to make it safe

How can homecare help me?

A paid carer can visit you at home to help you with all kinds of things including:

  • getting out of bed in the morning
  • washing and dressing
  • brushing your hair
  • using the toilet
  • preparing meals and drinks
  • remembering to take your medicines
  • doing your shopping
  • collecting prescriptions or your pension
  • getting out, for example to a lunch club
  • getting settled in the evening and ready for bed

Home help

This is slightly different to homecare and means day-to-day domestic tasks that you may need a helping hand with such as:

  • cleaning (including putting on clean bed sheets)
  • doing the washing up
  • doing the laundry
  • gardening

How to get help at home from a paid carer

  • your local council can arrange homecare for you if you’re eligible for it
  • you can arrange your own homecare

How your council can help

If you want the council to help with homecare for you, start by asking them for a needs assessment.

Your needs assessment will help the council to decide whether you’re eligible for care.

If you’re eligible, the council may recommend help at home from a paid carer. They will arrange the homecare for you.

If you’re not eligible for care, the council must still give you free advice about where you can get help in your community.

Even if you’re intending to make arrangements yourself with an agency or private carer, it’s still a good idea to have a needs assessment as it will help you to explain to the agency or carer what kind of help you need.

Paying for homecare

Depending on your circumstances, your local council may contribute to the cost of home care or you may have to pay for it yourself.

If your needs assessment recommends homecare, you may get help with the cost from the council.

What you’ll contribute depends on your income and savings. The council will work this out in a financial assessment.

If the council is paying for some or all of your homecare, they must give you a care and support plan.

This sets out what your needs are, how they will be met and your personal budget (the amount the council thinks your care should cost).

You can choose to receive your personal budget as a direct payment each month. This gives you the control to employ someone you know to care for you at home rather than using a homecare agency, though you’ll then have responsibilities as an employer.

If you’re not eligible for the council to contribute to your homecare costs, you’ll have to pay for it yourself.

Benefits that can help you with homecare

Check if you’re eligible for benefits.

Some, such as Attendance Allowance and Personal Independence Payments, are not means tested and they can help you meet the costs of homecare.

Find out how to apply for:

How to choose a paid carer

If you’re arranging your own homecare, there are 2 main ways to do this:

  • use a homecare agency
  • employ your own carer

Our care assistant can support you with a range of activities, all of which can be included in your care plan, including:

Companionship

Company and companionship from a carer matched to you so you can enjoy life with the right level of stimulation and emotional support.

Personal care and hygiene

Help with your personal needs such as dressing, personal cleanliness, lavatory needs and grooming, all with dignity and discretion.

Medication help
Our carers are trained to support you with managing and administering your medications. They can also collect prescriptions from the pharmacy.
Staying active

We’re able to work closely with occupational therapists and other health professionals to ensure your mobility needs are met.

 
Shopping for food and essentials
We can help you with shopping whether it involves popping out to the shops or arranging an online delivery.
 
Light housekeeping
This may include washing and ironing, cleaning rooms or vacuuming, to ensure your usual standards of cleanliness are maintained.
 
Meal preparation and nutrition

Your carer can help you plan and prepare nutritious meals to ensure your dietary needs are met, at a time that suits you.

 
Social activities and connecting
Your carer can support you to continue to socialise and keep close to family and friends.
 
Transportation and errands
This may involve helping you get and about in your local community, going out on trips or running errands on your behalf.
 
Hobbies and interests

Continuing to enjoy hobbies and interests helps maintain your independence and our carers will support you to do this both inside and outside of your home.

 
Specialist care
We will monitor your health and well-being outcomes and our carers are trained to support you with complex conditions such as dementia.
 
Social activities and connecting
Your carer can support you to continue to socialise and keep close to family and friends.

Home care FAQs

What is hourly home care?

Hourly home care is a type of elderly care service in which a carer provides additional support in the client’s own home. Hourly home care is a flexible service which can be personalised to your needs and can include anything from basic domestic support, companionship, personal care, and medication help, to supporting people with more complex conditions such as dementia or Parkinson’s. Hourly home care can be provided from 1 hour to 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, and may involve sleepover night care or waking night care.

What is hourly home care?

Hourly home care is a type of elderly care service in which a carer provides additional support in the client’s own home. Hourly home care is a flexible service which can be personalised to your needs and can include anything from basic domestic support, companionship, personal care, and medication help, to supporting people with more complex conditions such as dementia or Parkinson’s. Hourly home care can be provided from 1 hour to 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, and may involve sleepover night care or waking night care.

Is hourly home care flexible?

Hourly home care is a flexible service so whether you or your loved one are looking for high quality but low level assistance, often whilst getting used to receiving help, or a more involved service, requiring us to work closely with GPs and district nurses for support with specialist conditions, our hourly care service can be tailored to meet your needs.

How often should I have hourly home care visits?

Hourly home care is a flexible option and can be designed around your needs and routines. You may only require 1 hour of support per week, a single or a number of daily visits may be best or you may require overnight support. Your care is agreed with you following an assessment of your care needs and can be adjusted at any time should your needs or preferences change.

Do you offer live-in care?

Yes! We also provide a locally managed live-in care service which enables families who require more extensive care and support to remain in the comfort of their own home rather than having to move into a residential care home. 

What are the benefits of hourly home care?

Most older people would prefer to remain in their own home rather than being forced to move into a residential care home or nursing home. Hourly home care enables an older person to retain their independence in the comfort of their own home with the peace of mind of one-to-one care from a professional carer when they need it. With hourly home care you can continue to enjoy the things we may take for granted such as control over daily routines, friends and family being able to visit anytime, couples being able to remain together and staying with pets. Hourly home care also reduces the risk of incidents occurring and families having to make ‘reactive’ unplanned decisions regarding care.

Care With compassion

Looking for home carers? Call us on 01642134019 / 08000016458

Office 2, Stephenson Court, Skippers Lane, Middlesbrough, TS6 6UT admin@newbuscareagency.co.uk / manager@newbuscareagency.co.uk