“With nearly a quarter of the UK’s population expected to be over 65 within 20 years, the dilemma of who should pay for the care of the elderly is a pressing issue for government. Dame Joan Bakewell has been exploring how we are facing up to old age.”

Click this link to go to the BBC to watch the video – Elderly Home Care Video from Panorama

A person must be able to give their consent to receiving direct payments and be able to manage them even if they need help to do this on a day-to-day basis.

Who is eligible?

If you already receive social services
Your local council is obliged to offer you the option of direct payments in place of the services you currently receive. There are some limited circumstances where you are not given this choice and your council will be able to tell you about these.

If you’re not receiving social services
To get direct payments you’ll need to contact your local council to ask them to assess your needs. Social services – and therefore direct payments – are normally available if you are:

– disabled and aged 16 or over
– a carer aged 16 or over, including people with parental responsibility for a disabled child
– an older person

If you’ve been refused social services
If your local council has decided that you do not need social care services, it will not offer you direct payments. If you think your needs or circumstances have now changed, ask your local council for a new assessment.

How much do you get?
The amount you receive will depend on the assessment your local council makes of your needs.

How it’s paid
Direct payments are made directly into your bank, building society, Post Office or National Savings account.

If you need someone who cares for you to collect your money, or you are registered blind, payment can be made by sending a cheque which can be cashed at the Post Office.
How to apply for direct payments locally

If you already get services, ask your local authority about direct payments.

If you are applying for services for the first time, your social worker should discuss the direct payments option with you when they assess your care needs.

The following link will let you enter details of where you live and then take you to your local authority website where you can find out more and/or apply online.

Find out more and/or apply for direct payments locally (opens new window)

What you can use direct payments for
The money is for you to use to pay for the services and/or equipment which will meet the needs the local council has assessed you as having.

As a general principle, councils should aim to leave you to choose how best to meet your assessed needs as long as they are satisfied that agreed support arrangements made, are being met.

What you can’t use direct payments for

You cannot use direct payments to:

– pay for permanent residential accommodation – but you may be able to use direct payments to secure occasional short periods in residential accommodation, if your local council agrees that is what is needed
– secure a service from your spouse or civil partner, close relatives or anyone who lives in the same household as you, unless that person is someone who you have specifically recruited to be a live-in employee (other than in exceptional circumstances, which your council may agree with you)

Record keeping
If you receive direct payments, you’ll need to account for the money you spend. Your local council will tell you what records you need to keep and what information you’ll be expected to provide: such as timesheets signed by personal assistants, or receipts for services from agencies.

The council will have to satisfy itself that the needs for which it is giving you direct payments are being met. They should tell you how they will go about this. This may involve a visit to your home.

Carers and direct payments
If you are a carer aged 16 or over, including people with parental responsibility for a disabled child, you may be eligible for direct payments.

However, you cannot use direct payments to buy services for the person you care for. They can only be spent on getting the support you, as a carer, have been assessed as needing.

Direct payments for carers – arranging care and services (caring for someone section)

Effect on other benefits
Direct payments are not a replacement of income and therefore do not affect any other benefits you may be receiving.

What to do if your circumstances change

If your social services needs change
If your needs change, contact your local council as soon as possible so that they can reassess the level of payments you require. It doesn’t matter whether the changes are long- or short-term.

For example, if you don’t need to spend the full amount because your condition improves temporarily, or you go into hospital, they may need to adjust your payments.

If you don’t want to continue with direct payments
If you decide you don’t want to continue, the local council will arrange services instead. If the council decides you cannot manage with direct payments, it might decide to stop making direct payments and provide services instead.

Exctract from Government website click here.

There is no doubt that once you get in to your later years things become more difficult and help is needed for some of the tasks that might ordinarily have been a lot easier a when you were a bit younger. There is help at hand with care in your own home with the privacy that this brings with it. It might be that you only need help at certain times of the day, for example, you might need help with getting your breakfast, lunch or dinner, but to have someone there will make all the difference.

If you only require part-time care then you need to employ the services of a “Visiting Care Agency” who will be geared up for this type of service. However, if you need more regular care throughout the day, for whatever reason, or you would like companionship, then a live-in carer is what is recommended.

A live-in carer from say Care at Home UK Limited will have the experience to deal with all eventualities with an elderly person living at home and will have the necessary training to mach the skills.

Both visiting care and live-in care are very expensive, especially full time live in care, becuase it is labour intensive. However, your local council should be able to offer help where this is concerned and the goverment are pushing for more private home care by offering “Direct Payments” to the person requiring the care.

Care at Home – The Home Care Live-in specialists

Care at Home were established in 1990 and have their head office based just outside Saffron Walden in Essex.

Live-in Care works because more and more people are looking to retain their independence and want to maintain a quality of life as well as retain the freedom of their own home. Care at Home employ their carers who are all trained to the highest standard and who have been fully checked with the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB).

Live in care also works well because you are in your own home where things are familiar and you have complete say in what happens – there are no visiting times and if you want to keep your pet, then you can.

In summary Care at Home is key in providing the following:

One-on-One care

The key benefit of live in care in your own home is that you receive one-on-one care, which is unlike the service provided in a care home where one carer might serve several residents at the same time. The service can therefore be absolutely tailored to suit your needs. You are in complete control of your care and it will be your decision as to the time you get up in the morning to the time you go to bed.

Client specific care plan

We prepare a bespoke care plan for you which is tailored to your specific needs and is then used by the carers to carry out your care on a day to day basis. The care plan covers the following areas:

– Details of your family and who visits you regularly and what involvement they will have in your care.
– Details about your home and the access arrangements for visitors including both your family and friends. Also, whether you have any pets living with you.
– Your communication ability and whether or not you have problems with either of your speech or of your hearing. Do you wear a hearing aid and will you need help with fitting it, for example and whether you wear glasses to read.
– Information relating to your existing medical conditions and allergies that you may have and are you on any medication so that we can assist you in making sure that you take any tablets you have been prescribed. Included within in this we make sure we know about your continence so that the carer can cater to your specific needs.
– What personal care do you specifically require, for example how mobile are you and what assistance will you need in getting around your home. Will you need any help with washing and with the cleaning of your teeth and of course at what time do you like to get up in the morning and then go to bed at night.
– You can let us know what are your favourite foods and drinks and of the things you dislike together with any special health needs you might have. We ask things like where do you like to eat you meals and whether or not you require help in cutting your food up.
– We specifically like to know about your mobility so that we can help you, where necessary, to go out of the house on walks around your neighbourhood or if you have a wheel chair our carers can assist you in moving about. You can tells us what you have difficulty with, for example, stairs or uneven floors etc.
– We like to find out specifically what you like to do, for example do you like going for walks, or do you enjoy watching the TV, or perhaps seeing your family and friends.
– Your care plan will also include vital information about your local GP, your district nurse and any other important contacts in case of an emergency or changes to your situation.
Security and comfort

If you decide to use the services of Care at Home you will obviously continue to live in the comfort of your own home. You will continue to be in a familiar and safe environment with the added security of having a carer on hand 24 hours a day seven days a week. You will avoid any unnecessary stress involved with moving and you will continue to live in your known neighbourhood where all your friends that know you live too.

If you would like to chat with a friendly member of our team please either:

Call on 01799 541400
Email: To email click Care at Home
Or visit our website at Care at Home.

We look forward to hearing from you.

It might be you are viewing this web site and at the point of deciding whether or not you should stay in your own home or whether you should consider going into a nursing or care home. You might be looking for care on behalf of a loved one or for a friend and trying to help them decide which route is better, a care home or for them to remain in their own home and retain their independence.

We have put this page together to try and help you make that decision and you are quite welcome to contact us to ask any personal questions you might have on this extremely important decision.

Care in your own home – the benefits

- Familiar surroundings – there is no better place than home, both for the person receiving the care and for the visiting family. Most people would prefer to be in their own home, whether it be returning from a holiday spent in an hotel or in this case being care for at the winter of life. The surroundings are familiar and you are free to do what you want to do.

- Retain your independence – retaining independence is important for most people, which might mean something as simple as being able to see family and friends whenever you wish, as compared to having more strict visiting hours in a care home. It also extends to being able to keep the good old trusted friend – your pets! If you have a dog or a cat or perhaps a parrot, if you decide on the nursing home route you will not be able to keep your pet. Whereas if you stay in your own home, there is no problem with keeping your pets and we can help you in looking after these for you. There is no question about the important role a pet can play in someone’s overall health and well being – there is nothing like a friendly dog wagging his tail to bring a smile you your face!

- Cost of the care – The cost of care provided in your own home is not that much different from the care provided in a nursing home. Our charges start at around £650 per week for a full time live-in carer. A nursing home in Sudbury charges between £645 and £665 per week for a room in their care home.

- No disruption – Moving at any time of life is regarded as one of the most stressful events and this is no different at a stage in life where you require extra help and support, if anything it might be even more stressful. It is therefore, vital to reduce any stress and by staying in your own home there is no disruption to the way you live. If a special bed is required or a stair lift or whatever other adaptation to your home is necessary – these can all be done at a minimum of disruption to both the person receiving the care and to the family.

- One on one care – If you are in a nursing home you have to ’share’ your carers with many other residence, whereas if you use Care at Home you will retain the services of your own personal carer. You will have a carer living with you 24 hours a day seven days a week who is there to help you and to be your companion.

- Local friends and sites – Depending upon your level of mobility there is nothing better than to be able to go out and visit your local park or your local pub and to see your neighbours and friends – if you move to a nursing home you will have to make new friends and not have your familiar local amenities to hand.

- Your own menu – You are living in your own home so have a choice in what you have to eat and what is cooked for you by our carers – if your favorite dish is Shepard’s Pie, then tell your carer and they will happily oblige.