Independent Age - Home Care

Independant Age have several factsheets about home care:

First steps in getting help with your care needs - If you’re finding it difficult to manage everyday tasks, you may be entitled to help from your local council’s adult social services department. The first step is an assessment of your needs.

This factsheet explains how to ask for a care needs assessment, how the assessment works, and what care and support services you may qualify to receive from your local council.

Getting care services at home - This factsheet explains what to look for when you’re choosing home care, what to expect from it and how to complain if you’re not satisfied with the service you receive.

Social care: ways to use your personal budget - This factsheet is relevant to you if you have had a care needs assessment, qualify for council support and social services are arranging your care.

Your personal budget is the amount of money that the council has calculated is needed to meet your social care needs. Direct payments are one way of receiving this personal budget, so you can arrange your own social care support.

Can I avoid paying for my care by giving away my assets? - If you may need help from the council to pay for your care, you’ll usually be given a financial assessment to work out how much you should contribute to the cost of your care. You might be tempted to spend your money or give away property so that it isn’t counted in your financial assessment and the amount you have to pay reduces. However, there are strict rules to prevent you from doing this.

This factsheet looks at what happens if you transfer your property, spend large sums of money or do anything else to reduce your assets before moving into a care home or accessing other care services.

Getting a financial assessment for care at home - If you need some support to look after yourself at home, you may qualify for help to pay for this from your local council. Your eligibility is worked out in a financial assessment. This factsheet looks at how this assessment works.

Actions

Page last reviewed: 26 January 2023

Skip back to top of page