Options Wakefield Autumn 2022

A guide to care and independent living

Wakefield & Pontefract

Leaving hospital

What’s next?

NHS continuing healthcare

Residential Home

Whether you’re choosing care for yourself or a loved one, you want to feel confident you are choosing a home with good standards of care and comfort.

We have open door policy

Own possessions

Daily activities, regular entertainment

Own G.P.

required

Palliative care

Qualified and caring staff

Special diets

Pets by arrangement

Convalescent care

Local authority funding

for

offer a true home from home environment with lots of TLC.”

www.fieldhouse-care.co.uk

As a family, we own and manage four care homes promoting a home from home feel for residents that promotes person centred family values in all aspects of care delivery. With over 30 years experience in managing care homes, we have a strong ethos that ensures we provide a high standard of care to our residents with emphasis on their ongoing health and welfare needs and maintaining a good quality of life. Our care is very much focused on respecting and tailoring care that meets residents individual needs and preferences. All of our four care homes within the group have been overall rated as ‘Good’ by The Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Lane,

Helping you to find extra care and support

Following a stay in hospital, you might find you need extra care and support to manage your life and daily tasks to help you remain independent. Adult social care services in the Wakefield district can support you to stay independent and healthy.

Stay Independent Care needs assessment

You may have had a conversation about your care and support needs whilst in the hospital and have a care plan in place. However, if you feel your care needs have changed contact Social Care Direct on 0345 8 503 503.

Care needs assessments are carried out to find out what help and support are needed. It will seek to find out what is happening in your life, such as the help you have now and what help you think you may need. The assessment might also include putting you in touch with other services that can help you.

Reablement when you get home from the hospital

If you are recovering from an illness or injury, you may have been offered temporary care also known as ‘reablement’.

The reablement service aims to help you:

There is support available for carers through Carers Wakefield and District.

• Look after yourself rather than have someone care for you

• Stay as independent as possible

• Avoid any unnecessary hospital stays

Reablement workers will help you to do things yourself rather than doing them for you.

Reablement care is free for up to 6 weeks, however, most people receive this care for around 1 or 2 weeks.

If you need ongoing care

You may need care for longer than 6 weeks to help you cope with daily life. Home care services across the district may be able to help. Though this care isn’t free, the service can be provided by either adult social care or by outside providers.

Paying for care

Care arranged by your local council isn’t usually free. Following a care needs assessment there will be a financial assessment where the council will look at your income, savings, and property to calculate how much you can afford to contribute towards the cost of your care and support.

Caring for someone

There is support available for carers through Carers Wakefield and District. Whether you’re looking for someone to simply listen and talk things over with, or gain advice on groups or services, call 01924 305544 or visit www.carerswakefield.org.uk.

As an adult carer, you are entitled to a carers assessment. The assessment takes place as a conversation between you and a social worker and looks at how caring affects your life, including, for example, your physical, mental, and emotional needs, and whether you are able or willing to carry on caring. Following this conversation, you will be given recommendations of services and actions that may help you as a carer.

Not all services recommended from your carers assessment are free, although you may be eligible

The council’s equipment service delivers equipment to people who meet agreed eligibility criteria on a loan basis.

for a carer personal budget to give you a break from your caring role or to buy something that makes your life easier. It is not means tested and if your application is successful, you have a wide choice about how the money is spent.

Talk to the social worker that is working with the person you care for (if they have one) or phone Social Care Direct and ask for a carers needs assessment.

Equipment and adaptations

Several services can assist with equipment and adaptations to your property such as wet rooms, grab rails, ramps, and stair lifts – with differing eligibility criteria.

The services available are:

• Adaptations Service

• Wakefield District Housing Special Needs and Disability Service

• Community Occupational Therapy Service

• Integrated Community Equipment Store

To ensure you access the correct service, contact Social Care Direct.

How to get mobility equipment

The council’s equipment service delivers equipment to people who meet agreed eligibility criteria on a loan basis. You’ll be assessed by a health or social care professional such as an occupational therapist or district nurse who will request the most suitable equipment. This must be returned when no longer required so that it can go on to support other people in need.

DIAL also have small pieces of equipment available such as zimmers, rollators, walkers, and portable ramps that can be loaned for short periods. Call DIAL on 01977 723933 to enquire.

Wheelchair service

The council’s wheelchair service can provide manual and powered wheelchairs and specialist seating to help people with clinical needs for posture and mobility. Speak to your GP or other healthcare professional about making a referral for you.

Stay Healthy Respite breaks for carers

Respite or short-term care supports service users whilst giving their carer a break. Carers can decide

Positively, there are lots of things you can do and small changes you can make in the home to help you stay steady on your feet.

when and where they take a break, with peace of mind that the person they look after is safe and receiving good care.

Falls prevention

Falling as you get older is quite common, and although most falls don’t cause serious injury, they can be distressing. Positively, there are lots of things you can do and small changes you can make in the home to help you stay steady on your feet.

The Aspire Health Referral Service provides access to a free exercise programme which is tailored to you to improve your strength and balance and reduce your risk of having a fall. This may include seated exercises. For more information call 01924 307811 or email aspirereferral@wakefield.gov.uk.

Out and about

Find details of activities and local groups at wakefield.connecttosupport.org.

Nova Wakefield also has a useful directory of local community groups available across the district at communitywakefield.org. Just don’t forget – for help with travelling around, West Yorkshire Metro offers discounted and free passes. Visit www.wymetro.com.

Care link

Care Link can improve and maintain wellbeing,

self-esteem, and independence, letting people live safely and securely at home, by providing an alarm connected to a call centre should they fall. Telephone 01977 788000 or email carelink@wdh.co.uk.

Healthy housing

The Wakefield Healthy Housing Pathway assists with issues around fuel poverty, problems with inefficient heating systems, and cold or damp homes.

In some cases, there may be grants and loans available to help, particularly if you are:

• Aged over 60

• Have a child aged under 16 in your household

• Have a condition or illness that is made worse by cold or damp living conditions

To find out more email healthyhousing@wakefield.gov.uk.

For information on all Wakefield Council adult social care services contact Social Care Direct on 0345 8 503 503 or email social_care_direct@wakefield.gov.uk.

The Connect to Support Wakefield website also provides a wealth of information and advice. Visit wakefield.connecttosupport.org.

Editorial content supplied by: Wakefield Council

Supporting healthy living for the people of Wakefield District

We understand that many factors can affect a person’s overall wellbeing, including physical and mental health. Therefore, we offer non-medical support to help you identify factors in your life that may be negatively impacting on you and offer support to help you address these.

We work with those who are:

• 18+ years

• Live in the Wakefield District (or have a Wakefield GP)

• and have a non-medical, social support need We offer a range of services, including:

Social Prescribing

The social prescribing team will talk with you about your health, wellbeing & independence. You will be allocated to a Social Prescribing Advisor who will contact you to discuss your social needs (and referral information) in more depth, and on a one-to-one basis, usually over the telephone (face-to-face can also be requested).

They will listen to what matters to you and help you prioritise what you would like support with. They will also help you identify a goal you would like to work towards. From there, they will help you to create a personalised action plan and discuss local support options, offering help to access these services, such as:-

They will listen to what matters to you and help you prioritise what you would like support with.

• voluntary or community groups offering a range of support and activities,

• or support from other services, including from the local council or NHS.

The Social Prescribing Advisors can make referrals on your behalf or provide you with further information to enable you to access the services independently.

After the initial assessment, we will contact you to follow up at around:

6 weeks,

6 months and

12 months

You can also get in touch at any point throughout the 12 months you are working with us should you need additional support.

You can access the Social Prescribing service by: • contacting the Live Well Team on 01924 255363

by completing the secure online referral form at www.livewellwakefield.nhs.uk/referrals/new

by asking a professional you are working with to submit a referral

or by asking your GP surgery for referral to their Live Well Link Worker (if you are requesting support for somebody else, please ensure that you have their consent first).

Case Study

‘Julie’ was advised to contact Live Well Wakefield after speaking with her GP. Julie was off work at the time of referral and was experiencing stress and anxiety due to an assault that occurred whilst at work, and an increase in her hours and responsibility at work prior to being off work.

Following our assessment, Julie said she felt ‘listened to and heard’. We had discussed her main priorities and explored local support options, including a referral to Victim Support for additional help regarding a

We currently offer 3 different selfmanagement courses to support those living with a longterm health condition.

pending court case for the assault, we also provided information with local services to support her mental health, and improve her sleep.

We encouraged her to continue an open dialogue with her employer regarding how she was feeling, a return to work, a phased return, and any reasonable adjustments that could be made. With this support, Julie felt as though she was able to communicate more honestly with her employer.

Julie learnt new techniques to cope with the anxiety and stress whilst working together with Live Well Wakefield, and as a result was able to return to work on a phased return that suited her needs.

Julie received ongoing support from us for 6 months and said, “I’m not the type of person to ask for help but I’m so glad I did.” She thanked her Social Prescribing Advisor for the “amazing support”.

Feedback from Service Users for Social Prescribing:

“My Advisor was amazing at helping to guide me towards resources which I could benefit from. Even contacting some of them on my behalf to speed up the process. She went above and beyond in not only listening, understanding, helping but also in relating to my difficulties. She was wonderful.”

“Good discussion with my advisor which prompted me to accept a volunteering position, and I was also signposted to organisations which are now helping me. All very motivating.”

“The lady that assessed me has been utterly wonderful from the offset very informative, highly professional, sincere but above all empathetic, reassuring and calming…I actually felt relieved and optimistic for the first time in many, many months, I don’t feel as alone

and isolated now totally restored my faith in human kindness! Thankyou I’m so profoundly grateful…”

Self-management Courses & Workshops

Live Well Wakefield also provides a range of peer led Self-Management courses and workshops, offering a range of self-help tools and techniques to help you to manage your wellbeing whilst living with any longterm physical or mental health conditions.

This part of the service is led by a team of staff and volunteers who are living with long-term health conditions themselves. They have participated in the courses, completed training to deliver them, and practice the tools and techniques they teach to others, to support them to manage their conditions.

We currently offer 3 different self-management courses to support those living with a long-term health condition:

General Self-Management

This course offers general tools and techniques to support any long-term health condition. It is also valuable for carers to attend to support their own health and wellbeing. The course runs for 6 weekly sessions of 2.5 hours per session with an additional introductory session for everyone, the week before the main course begins.

New Beginnings for Your Mental Health

This course provides specific techniques to support mental health and wellbeing when living with depression and/or anxiety. There are 7 weekly sessions of 2.5 hours. There is also a short introductory session for everyone before the full course begins, the following week.

Cancer - Thriving and Surviving

A course specifically designed for those living with or beyond a cancer diagnosis and treatment. There are 6 weekly sessions of 2.5 hours which offer tools and techniques to support those living with the effects of a cancer diagnosis. The course is also valuable for anyone who is caring for a loved one, relative or close friend who is living with cancer. The focus is on sharing supportive tools and techniques together with others affected by cancer to learn effective ways to deal with some of the common issues and difficulties people experience.

Self-Management Workshops

We offer a variety of self-management workshops which include:

Feeling Positive, Busting Stress

Coping with Chronic Pain

Boosting Self Confidence

Coping with Life through Relaxation

Post Covid Courses & Workshops

Whether or not you have a confirmed diagnosis of Long Covid, if you are experiencing symptoms of

Long Covid, we are offering courses and workshops to support those living with Post-Covid symptoms to improve and maintain their health and wellbeing whilst they work towards recovery. Our current Post Covid offer includes: -

• Self-Management support after Covid Course

• Managing Breathlessness after Covid Workshop

• Managing Fatigue After Covid Workshop

All our courses and workshops are free and confidential and are currently delivered online via Microsoft Teams, and support is available to help anyone not used to Microsoft Teams to access our sessions. We are also starting to bring back face to face sessions across the Wakefield District.

Feedback from Service Users of our SelfManagement Service:

Many people comment on the added value and uniqueness of the courses and workshops because they are delivered by people with lived experience of long-term health conditions. Here are a few things people say about our service:

What was good about your experience with the SelfManagement Service?

“Speaking to others about the same shared experiences”

“Listening to other people’s experiences has been helpful, as you can start to feel like your symptoms are not real”

“Useful to know I’m not alone and the tips are very helpful”

“As well as the advice and tips given just putting a face to others who are experiencing the same problems”

General feedback regarding the Self-Management Service:

Social Prescribing Hubs

We have two Social Prescribing Hub’s within Primary Care venues where we are working closely with partners across the district to bring you local events, activities, and services within the community. We have a larger room in Crofton, and a smaller room in the Ossett. If you have any ideas regarding activities that could be run from these rooms for local people, please let us know by emailing livewellwakefield@swyt.nhs.uk

Volunteering

All our courses, workshops and groups are facilitated by dedicated volunteers, alongside our staff. Each volunteer has received training and decided to share their skills to help others. We are always looking for volunteers to help us deliver our course and workshops across the district, and we have other volunteering roles available, such as our social support volunteers, who help people to build confidence in accessing community services & social activities.

Volunteering has lots to offer, it could help you to:

• Build self-confidence

• Gain skills and experience

• Improve career prospects

• Share your experiences with other people

• Meet new people

• Gain a sense of satisfaction

• Become a part of something that makes a difference

If you are interested in finding out more about volunteering with Live Well Wakefield, contact us on 01924 255363 or email us at livewellwakefield@swyt.nhs.uk

For further information on volunteering within the Wakefield District and to view other current volunteering opportunities please visit www.volunteerwakefield.org

“The workshops were very supportive, there was no judgement and it felt like a safe space where I could be honest. It was also reassuring to share a space with others who have similar experiences”

“Helpful advice, and guidance about managing pain more effectively. Great interaction encouraged within the group by the Tutor. Lots of useful tips”

“The tutor was very supportive, understanding, and knowledgeable. She had lots of great, supportive advice to help with managing fatigue. It was good to be able to see other people who were experiencing the same symptoms as me.”

For more information on courses & workshops including places, dates and times, please visit www.livewellwakefield.nhs.uk or contact the team on 01924 255363.

How to contact us:

Website – www.livewellwakefield@nhs.uk

Phone – 01924 255363

Facebook – @LiveWellWakefield

Whether you are struggling to maintain your independence within the home; are living with, or supporting somebody with a long term health condition; are feeling isolated or lonely; would like to meet new people or become involved more in your local community; contact the Live Well Wakefield service & we can help you to access the support that you need.All our courses, workshops and groups are facilitated by dedicated volunteers, alongside our staff.

Twitter – @LiveWellWakey

Editorial content supplied by: Live Well Wakefield

Talk to your health and social care champion

Healthwatch Wakefield is your local health and social care champion. From Overton to Knottingley, Altofts to South Kirkby, and everywhere in between across our district, we make sure NHS leaders and other decision-makers hear your voice and use your feedback to improve care.

How we can help

If you’ve recently had a GP appointment, been in hospital, had a booster, or used any local health or care service we want to hear from you. Whether you’ve had a good or bad experience, we can use your feedback to improve services for everyone.

We have the legal powers to make NHS leaders and other care providers listen to what you have to say. We have a place on both the Wakefield District Health and Care Partnership Board and our Health and Wellbeing Board, which is where decisions are made about our services.

We can also give you any information or advice you might need in finding or accessing health or care services. This includes helping you to get the support you need and how to complain about any service, and advocacy support which guides you through the process of a formal NHS complaint.

We’re completely independent and impartial and anything you share with us is confidential.

We need your feedback and experiences to know what’s happening on the ground in Wakefield District.

Telephone 01924 787379

If you are Deaf or hearing impaired, you can text us on 07885 913396

We also use the BSL Online Interpreting Service, SignLive Email enquiries@healthwatchwakefield.co.uk Website www.healthwatchwakefield.co.uk

Office hours are Monday to Friday 9.00am - 5.00pm

How you can help

We can’t do what we do without your help. We need your feedback and experiences to know what’s happening on the ground in Wakefield District.

We also need volunteers who can visit services to check them out and suggest improvements. These visits take place in our hospitals, residential care homes, and other local health and care services.

And we want new members for our Citizen Panel for Adult Social Care and the Cancer Alliance Community Panel, both of which bring people together to discuss services and make recommendations to the people who plan and organise those services.

How to get in touch

You can always contact us directly by telephone to speak to someone, email us, or use our contact us form on our website. You can also use our website to leave your experiences and review services in our Feedback Centre.

Arranging carebefore you leave hospital

If you or someone you know goes into hospital, help and support should be arranged before you go home (are discharged).

This means:

• any extra help is arranged, such as visits from a district nurse or paid home help

• any equipment is fitted, such as a raised toilet seat

• any home adaptations are made, like grab rails in the bathroom

What happens while you’re in hospital Hospital staff should contact social services to arrange a discharge assessment. This is so they can find out what help you need when you go home.

It doesn’t matter if your hospital stay was planned or an emergency.

The assessment can happen in hospital, or they might visit your home.

It helps to have a key safe at home, or to leave keys with family or friends.

You’ll be involved in the assessment and agree a care plan together.

This should include things like:

• treatment and care when you get home

• who’s in charge of your care and how to contact them

• when and how often you need care

Preparing to leave hospital

If you have had a short illness or an operation, you might only need care for a short time to get back to normal.

Hospital staff should make sure:

• you can get home

• you have your care plan and your care home has a copy, if you live in one

• you have any medicine you need and know how to take it

• you can use new equipment, such as crutches

• your GP knows you have been discharged

• you know how to get help from a district nurse if you need it, or when to expect a visit

When you get home from hospital Temporary care

If you have had a short illness or an operation, you might only need care for a short time to get back to normal.

This is called intermediate care, reablement or aftercare.

The aim of this type of short-term care is to help you:

• look after yourself rather than having someone care for you

• stay as independent as possible

• avoid unnecessary hospital stays

Intermediate care is free for a maximum of 6 weeks. Most people receive this care for around 1 or 2 weeks.

Ongoing care

Soon after you leave hospital, social services will check if your care plan is right.

If you’re likely to need care for longer than 6 weeks, they’ll work with you to put a care plan in place. This care isn’t free.

What to do if you’re unhappy with your hospital discharge

You can complain if you’re unhappy with your hospital discharge, or the discharge of someone you know.

For example, if:

• the hospital plans to discharge you before you think it’s safe

• you don’t think your discharge assessment was done correctly

Speak to the hospital staff who arranged your discharge.

It might help to get advice from the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) or the charity POhWER who can provide help with NHS health complaints.

Read more about the NHS complaints process here: www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/about-the-nhs/how-tocomplain-to-the-nhs/.

Care after illness or hospital discharge

If you or someone you know has been in hospital or had an illness or fall, you may need temporary care to help you get back to normal and stay independent.

This temporary care is called intermediate care, reablement or aftercare.

Most people who receive this type of care do so for around 1 or 2 weeks, although it can be free for a maximum of 6 weeks. It will depend on how soon you are able to cope at home.

If you need care for longer than 6 weeks, you may have to pay for it.

When you can get free short-term care and how to get it

After leaving hospital

Care can help you recover from an illness or an operation.

Hospital staff should arrange care before you leave hospital.

Speak to the person in charge of you going home (discharge co-ordinator) to make sure this happens.

After a fall or short illness

Care can help you avoid going into hospital if you do not need to.

When aftercare finishes, your team should work with you and your family or carers to agree what happens next.

If you or someone you know falls or needs help because they’re ill, speak to your GP surgery or social services.

They should be able to arrange for someone to come to your home and discuss what you need.

If you have started to find everyday tasks difficult

You can get help with daily tasks. This can help you learn new ways of doing things before needing paid home help.

If you find everyday tasks difficult, contact social services at your council and ask for a needs assessment. This will identify the type of care or equipment you need.

What care you’ll get

A team with a mix of people from the NHS and social services will help you do the things you need to do to stay independent.

This might include getting dressed, preparing a meal, or getting up and down stairs.

They might care for you at first, but will help you practise doing things on your own.

Your team might include:

a nurse

an occupational therapist

a physiotherapist

a social worker

doctors

carers

They’ll start with an assessment that looks at what you can do. You’ll agree together what you want to do and set out a plan.

The plan will include a contact person who’s in the team and the times and dates they’ll visit you.

What happens when aftercare finishes

When aftercare finishes, your team should work with you and your family or carers to agree what happens next.

This should include:

• other care you might need, such as home help

how you can refer yourself again if you need to

what you should do if something goes wrong

information about what other types of support or equipment might help

Ask your team’s contact person about what happens next if your aftercare is coming to an end.

The Care Quality Commission is here to make sure health and adult social care services including hospitals, home and residential care as well as GPs in England provide people with safe, effective, high-quality care. We publish independent inspection reports and ratings about services – information you can use when you’re choosing care for yourself, or a loved one.

You can use our website to search for services you might be interested in by geographical area, or by specialism. For example, a care home that might offer specialist care for someone who has dementia. We also welcome your feedback on the care you have received – good or bad. We use this information to help inform our inspections and can alert authorities including local social services, if there are safeguarding concerns about care being provided.

You can visit our website at www.cqc.org.uk to find our inspection reports, or share an experience of care. You can also call us to share an experience of care on 03000 61 61 61.

Here are some tips to help you choose your care.

Social care Top tips

1

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) registers all care homes and home care agencies. You can find out which ones support specific groups of people, such as people with a learning disability or those living with dementia.

2

CQC’s Chief Inspector for Adult Social Care, Andrea Sutcliffe always uses ‘The Mum Test’: is a care home safe, caring, effective, responsive to people’s needs and well-led? In other words, is it good enough for my Mum (or anyone else I love and care for)?

If you or a loved one needs help with day-today care, you can contact your local council’s social services department. They will ‘make an assessment of your needs’ and depending on circumstances, may be able to help you access financial help. For more advice visit Age UK’s website www.ageuk.org.uk/home-and-care.

3

Look for care homes and home care agencies where the staff involve people who use services and their families and carers, and treat individuals with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect

Whether you are being cared for in your own home or in a residential setting, the staff looking after you need to be skilled, kind and supportive. They should also be capable and confident in dealing with your particular needs. You should always feel that their support is helping you to live the life you want to.

If you would like to organise your care yourself, you can find a care worker or personal assistant through an agency Your local social services department should be able to provide details of approved agencies.

CQC’s ratings will identify services as:

5

A care home will be a home for you or your loved one. Residents should be treated as individuals with their likes and dislikes taken into account. Think about whether a home is close enough to family, friends, and community facilities

Look at how well-led and managed a home is. What does it have in place to ensure that it delivers high quality care? Does it promote meaningful activity and connect the home with the community?

will help you make informed choices around your care.

Safeguarding adults who receive social care is everybody’s business. If you are concerned about the safety of a loved one receiving care, contact the service provider in the first instance. You can also contact social services at your local council. If you feel a crime has been committed, contact the police. You can share your safeguarding concerns with us on our website or contact our National Customer Services on 03000 616161.

The Care Quality Commission has not vetted the advertisers in this publication and accepts no liability for work done or goods supplied by any advertiser. Nor does

endorse any of the products or services.

The Care Quality Commission is here to make sure health and adult social care services including hospitals, home and residential care as well as GPs in England provide people with safe, effective, high-quality care. We publish independent inspection reports and ratings about services – information you can use when you’re choosing care for yourself, or a loved one.

You can use our website to search for services you might be interested in by geographical area, or by specialism. For example, a care home that might offer specialist care for someone who has dementia. We also welcome your feedback on the care you have received – good or bad. We use this information to help inform our inspections and can alert authorities including local social services, if there are safeguarding concerns about care being provided. You can visit our website at www.cqc.org.uk to find our inspection reports, or share an experience of care. You can also call us to share an experience of care on 03000 61 61 61. Here are some tips to help you choose your care.

Top tips

If you are new to an area you can find details of local GP services such as doctors’ practices, out-of-hours services and walkin centres in our online directory of care services www.cqc.org.uk/content/doctorsgps

You can search any of these services by the name of the service, a place name or your postcode at www.cqc.org.uk

After an inspection, CQC publishes its findings in a report on its website. You can use these reports to check and compare services in your area

are already over 1,000 reports about GP practices published on the CQC website.

launched its new-style

for GPs – looking at the five key areas SAFE, EFFECTIVE, CARING, RESPONSIVE and WELLLED – you can use the reports to compare local GPs and choose services.

can also use these new style inspection

to find out more about local services and choose the one that is best for your needs.

CQC rates all GPs to help people make choices about where they get treatment. This will be on a four-point scale:

CQC will also look at how specific population groups are treated and give a rating. For instance how well they serve: Mothers, children and young people, vulnerable older people (over 75s) and people with long-term conditions People will be able to choose a GP service that rates highly on the areas that matter to them.

welcome your feedback (good and bad) on the services you, or a loved one, receives from your GP. You can share information with us online at http://www.cqc.org.uk/share-yourexperience-finder or call us on 03000 61 61 61.

Telephone: 03000 616161 • Web: www.cqc.org.uk

The Care Quality Commission has not vetted the advertisers in this publication and accepts no liability for work done or goods supplied

Options Wakefield is published by Octagon

Design & Marketing Ltd with editorial contributions from Wakefield Council, Live Well Wakefield, Age UK, Alzheimer’s Society, the CQC and the NHS. The editorial contributors have

the advertisers in this publication

Paying for your own care (self-funding)

You will not be entitled to help with the cost of care from your local council if:

• you have savings worth more than £23,250

• you own your own property (this only applies if you’re moving into a care home)

You can ask your council for a financial assessment (means test) to check if you qualify for any help with costs.

You can choose to pay for care yourself if you don’t want a financial assessment.

How to arrange your care as a self-funder

You can:

• arrange and pay for care yourself without involving the council

• ask the council to arrange and pay for your care (the council will then bill you, but not all councils offer this service and they may charge a fee)

Find out what care you need

Having a carer who lives with you costs from around £650 a week. But it can cost as much as £1,600 a week if you need a lot of care.

Paying for a care home

There are 2 types of care home:

• residential homes have staff that help with everyday tasks such as getting dressed and supply all your meals

• nursing homes also offer 24-hour nursing care

A room in a care home costs:

• £600 a week in a residential home

• £840 a week in a nursing home

The price will vary according to where you live and the type of care you need.

For example, serious health problems like dementia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can increase the cost.

Benefits can help with care costs

Even if you choose to pay for your care, your council can do an assessment to check what care you might need. This is called a needs assessment.

Even if you choose to pay for your care, your council can do an assessment to check what care you might need. This is called a needs assessment.

For example, it’ll tell you whether you need home help from a paid carer for 2 hours a day or 2 hours a week and precisely what they should help you with.

The needs assessment is free and anyone can ask for one.

How much will care cost?

Social care can be expensive. Knowing how much you’ll have to pay will help you budget.

Paying for carers at home

A typical hourly rate for a carer to come to your home is around £20, but this will vary depending on where you live.

You may be eligible for benefits, like Attendance

Allowance and Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which aren’t means-tested.

You can use them to pay towards the cost of your care.

Can I avoid selling my home?

You won’t have to sell your home to pay for help in your own home.

But you may have to sell your home to pay for a care home, unless your partner carries on living in it.

Sometimes selling your home to pay care home fees is the best option.

But there may be other ways to pay care home fees if you don’t want to sell your home straight away.

Contact your local council about 3 months before you think your savings will drop to below £23,250 and ask them to reassess your finances.

Releasing money from your home (equity release)

Equity release lets you take money that’s tied up in your home without selling it. It’s available if you’re over 55.

But you have to pay interest on the money you take out, which can be expensive.

The Money Advice Service has more information on equity release.

Renting out your home

You can rent out your home and use the income to help pay your care home fees.

A deferred payment scheme

A deferred payment scheme can be useful if you have savings less than £23,250 and all your money is tied up in your property.

The council pays for your care home and you repay it later when you choose to sell your home, or after your death.

Ask your council if you’re eligible for a deferred payment scheme.

You can get more information from:

• the Money Advice Service: deferred payment schemes

• Independent Age: guide to care home fees and your property

Get expert financial help

You can get unbiased expert advice from a specialist care fees adviser.

They’ll help you compare all your options before you decide what’s right for you.

Find a specialist care fees adviser in your area with:

• PayingForCare, a free information service for older people

• the Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA) on 0333 2020 454

Telephone help

Get advice on paying for care from:

• Age UK on freephone 0800 169 6565

• Independent Age on freephone 0800 319 6789

• the Money Advice Service on freephone 0800 138 7777

If your savings run out

If your savings fall below £23,250, your council might be able to help with the cost of care.

Contact your local council about 3 months before you think your savings will drop to below £23,250 and ask them to reassess your finances.

Councils provide funding from the date you contact them. You won’t be reimbursed if your savings are less than £23,250 before you contact them.

What you can get for free

You might be able to get some free help regardless of your income or if you’re paying for your care.

This can include:

• small bits of equipment or home adaptations that each cost less than £1,000

• NHS care, such as NHS continuing healthcare, NHSfunded nursing care and care after you have been discharged from hospital

United Against Dementia

Alzheimer’s Society wants everyone affected by dementia to know that whoever you are, whatever you are going through, you can turn to them for support, help and advice.

Dementia Connect

Dementia Connect, from Alzheimer’s Society, is a personalised support service for anyone with dementia, their carers, families and friends.

We understand that dementia affects everyone differently. So whether you, a loved one, a friend or neighbour needs dementia support, we’re here for you.

We’ll connect you to a whole range of dementia support, by phone, online and face to face. Our highlytrained dementia advisers can help people come to terms with their diagnosis and navigate the complicated maze of health and social care services.

It’s free, easy to access, and offers you the support you need. Whether it’s advice on legal documents, help understanding dementia or someone to talk to when things get tough, we’re here to help.

We can keep in touch with you to make sure you keep getting the support you need. And because we know it’s never easy to tell your story, you’ll only ever need to tell it to us once.

Phone support

Our dementia advisers are available to talk to on the phone seven days a week. They will listen and give you the support and advice you need, including connecting you to help in your local area and online. We can offer you the option of regular calls so we can keep in touch, to find out how you are and help when things change.

Support line opening hours*

Monday – Wednesday:

– 8:00pm

Thursday – Friday:

– 5.00pm

Saturday – Sunday:

– 4:00pm

*Calls charged at standard local rate.

Online support

Dementia Connect online support is available round the clock through our website. Answer a few simple questions about yourself, or someone you know, to get personalised, relevant information and advice. From guides on dementia to advice on making your home dementia friendly, get the information about the things that matter to you.

‘The Dementia Adviser was lovely and full of information. Without Alzheimer’s Society and the Dementia Adviser we’d have nothing. She is a major networker and knows everything and everyone local. I feel in charge and empowered.’ Katherine, living with dementia

If you need further support, you can request a call from our dementia advisers, who should be in touch with you within a week. Our online support includes Talking Point, our online community where you can connect with others in a similar situation, and our Dementia Directory where you can search for local services.

Face to face support

Where possible, our local dementia support workers can meet you in person to offer further support, advice and information. They will also connect you to other face to face services in your area, including local support groups.

Notes: Dementia Connect phone and online support is available wherever you live. As the service is new, some parts of the service may not be available in your area just yet.