FAQ’s

We understand that inviting new people into your home can be a daunting prospect but remember all our staff are thoroughly vetted including background checks and references. We only recruit staff who are of the highest calibre and we conduct regular reviews of their performance. Our staff come into this type of work because they care and you will soon find you become very comfortable with them and looking forward to their visits.

Depending on how much support you need we will always endeavour to minimise the number of staff who visit you. Because we need to be certain that we can meet your needs at all times, during periods of staff absence, planned and unplanned, it is usually a good idea to have several members of staff getting to know you and understanding your individual needs.

The first and most important step in finding the right home care package for you is understanding the support you need to allow you to live a happy and fulfilled life at home.

Once you have decided that you would like to talk about having some support, one of our team will come and visit you (either at home or in hospital) and talk to you about the best type of support to meet your needs.

Our care assessment is a way for us to get to know you as a person, it will involve you and us asking questions of each other so we can fully understand your unique circumstances and enable us to jointly design the right plan of care. You are welcome to have a friend or family member with you for this if you wish or visit us in the office if you would prefer this option.

We need to understand your needs and preferences, and the type of support you are looking for.

We will discuss with you any conditions you have and any medication you may be taking, as well as any aids you may use in order to get around safely. You will also be asked about any dietary requirements you may have, as well as any hobbies and interests that you enjoy, so we can support you to continue doing the things that make you happy.

We are confident that we will be able to offer a home care solution which meets your needs and preferences. However, we will always be completely open and honest with you if we believe that your care needs and overall wellbeing would be better met elsewhere. The most important thing to us is that you receive the care and support you need to continue living the life you choose.

Local Authority Funding

The most common way people gain financial support to pay for  their care is through the local authority, either in full or in part.

Local authorities can differ in the way they work but the rules for how funding works is laid out in The Care Act 2014. You can find a copy of it at www.legislation.gov.uk.

If you want to know if you qualify for funding from the council then you will need to contact Adult Social Care – we can give you the number to call or you can find it on the Cumbria County Council website.

You will then need to have:

A Care Needs Assessment to determine your eligible needs

A social worker or trained assessor will normally come out to see you to assess your care needs and discuss what support is available to you. They will ask you about your daily living routine, how you manage and what things you may find difficult to do. At the end they will suggest a plan of how much care you might require to meet your eligible needs

How does the council determine if you have eligible needs?

You’ll have eligible needs if you meet all of the following:

• You have care and support needs as a result of a physical or a mental condition.
• Because of those needs, you can’t achieve two or more day-to-day ‘outcomes’, like getting dressed, going to the toilet or completing domestic chores.
• As a result, there’s a significant impact on your wellbeing.

Whether you are eligible for financial help is determined by a:

Financial Assessment

This will decide who is responsible for paying for your care – you or the Council. The Council usually starts to help pay when you have less than £23,250 in assets. If you are living at home then your home is not included in your assets for the purposes of this assessment

Personal Budget

The financial assessment will determine how much you will need to pay for your care needs. Depending on the outcome of the financial assessment the council will determine whether they will pay for all some or none of your personal budget.

Whether or not you are eligible for financial help, the Council can help arrange your support or you can do it yourself with a provider of your choosing .

If the Council is funding your care in whole or part then there are two main options; either they can pay a provider directly for your care, or you can have the money by means of a DIRECT PAYMENT to pay for your own care which gives you added choice and control. If you choose a direct payment then the council will make sure you are spending the money on your assessed eligible Care needs.

NHS continuing healthcare is where the NHS pays for all the costs of your care and you don’t pay a penny.

Continuing Healthcare funds care for those with long-term, complex health issues. This is defined as someone with a ‘primary health need’ rather than a ‘primary social care need’.

This puts an emphasis on needs resulting from long-term health conditions, rather than needs resulting from getting older (such as frailty).

It’s usually assessed by a health professional such as a specially trained nurse or social work practitioner on a case-by-case basis.

It’s not linked to having any particular illness or condition.

If you think may be eligible for continuing healthcare – do your research and speak to your consultant, GP, social worker or district nurse.

Situations in which you should be assessed for Continuing Healthcare

If you’re in any of the following situations, you should be approached by a doctor or nurse to discuss your care and support needs:

You’re being discharged from hospital – before you have gone through a local authority financial assessment.

You’re going into residential care, with nursing support, without having received an NHS-Funded Nursing Care Assessment.

Your mental or physical health has shown signs of significant decline, or if palliative care is being discussed.

Does dementia qualify you for NHS Continuing Healthcare?

Having a dementia diagnosis doesn’t automatically mean you’ll qualify for Continuing Healthcare.

If you have Alzheimer’s or any other form of dementia, it depends on the complexity, intensity and likelihood of your symptoms to be unpredictable.