Options Wakefield and Pontefract Autumn 2023

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).

Mill Lane, Nevison

Pontefract

West Yorkshire

WF8 2LS

Tel: 01977 690606

Cobblers Lane

Pontefract

West Yorkshire

WF8 2SS

Tel: 01977 600247

Pontefract Road

Snaith

East Yorkshire

DN14 9JR

Tel: 01405 862191

72 Church Road

Altofts, Normanton

West Yorkshire

WF6 2QG

Tel: 01924 220019

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 speak with your Social Worker or 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.

Respite breaks for carers

Respite or short-term care supports service users whilst giving their carer a break. Carers can decide when and where they take a break, with peace of mind that the person they look after is safe and receiving good care.

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

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

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 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

• 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 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. Care Link services have a fee.

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.

If you would like support in keeping healthy after your stay in hospital Live Well Wakefield can signpost you to find the right help. You can access the service by calling 01924 2553631.

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.

Live Well Wakefield Social Prescribing Service

Live Well Wakefield is a social prescribing service with the aim of connecting individuals to local services and organisations, to meet an individual’s non-medical needs.

We understand that many factors can affect a person’s overall wellbeing, including finances, housing, and isolation. Therefore, we offer support to help you identify factors in your life that may be negatively impacting on your wellbeing, and offer support to connect you to local services, activities, and information that can help you to address your needs.

We work with those who meet all of the following:

• Aged 18+

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

• Have a non-clinical support need

We offer a range of services, including:

“I found the workshop really useful. With day-today living, and so much going on, everyone just needs some time out to re-charge batteries, and I found that this workshop did exactly that.”

Social Prescribing

A member of our social prescribing team will talk with you about your health, wellbeing & independence on a one-to-one basis, usually over the telephone, or face to face.

They will listen to what matters to you and help you prioritise any support needs that you identify. They will also help you set 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 and offer help to access this support where required.

The social prescribing team can make referrals on your behalf or provide you with further information to enable you to access the services independently.

People tend to access our support for up to 6 months.

You can access our social prescribing support by:

• contacting the Live Well Wakefield 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 via the above options.

Feedback from individuals who have accessed our social prescribing support:

“It’s a really good service. I think its not always the medical side of things people need support with. People can almost get ‘stuck in a rut’ and this helps to open up doors.”

“ It has made us aware there are other things out there. It has given us a bit of hope and helped map out what might be possible (for my mum).”

“Exceptionally understanding. Exceptionally professional staff. Exceptionally caring. Absolutely wonderful.”

Self-management Programmes & Workshops

We also provides a range of peer led Self-Management programmes and workshops, offering a range of self-help tools and techniques to support you to better manage your wellbeing and long-term conditions, to live healthier and happier lives.

Our team of staff and volunteers all either live with their own long-term health conditions, or care for somebody living with a long-term condition, and share their experiences to help others to do the same.

We currently offer 3 different self-management programmes to support those living with a long-term health condition, that take place online or in person across the Wakefield district.

General Self-Management Programme

For those living with any long-term condition (carers are also welcome to participate). 2hr 30min session each week for 6 weeks. The programme focuses on:

• Setting goals to build self confidence

• Practicing problem solving tools for challenging times

• Planning how to work in partnership with healthcare team

New Beginnings for Your Mental Health

For those living with a mental health condition. 2hr 30min session each week for 7 weeks. The programme focuses on:

• Practicing tools to manage daily anxiety/mood

• Learning relaxation skills for troubling thoughts

• Planning set-back strategies for difficult days

Cancer-Thriving and Surviving

For those dealing with life after cancer (carers are also welcome to participate). 2hr 30min session each week for 6 weeks. The programme focuses on:

• Setting realistic goals, to build on recovery

• Managing living with uncertainty

• Learning ways to deal with difficult emotions

Self-Management Workshops

We offer a variety of short 1-hour online workshops, for adults looking to improve their general wellbeing. Our current workshops are:

• Feeling Positive, Busting Stress

• Coping with Pain

• Boosting Self Confidence

• Managing Fatigue with Health Conditions

If you are interested in any of our programmes or workshops, further information is available on our website, including dates and locations https://www.livewellwakefield.nhs.uk/pages/selfmanagement-programmes-workshops or you can call us on 01924 255363

Feedback from participants of the self- management programmes

“I understand now that I’m not alone.”

“I found the workshop really useful. With day-to-day living, and so much going on, everyone just needs some time out to re-charge batteries, and I found that this workshop did exactly that.”

“My pain management is better. I use the tools given for my mental health and pain. Dietary and

physical wellbeing has improved, and I felt very supported and Positive”.

Volunteer with us

All our programmes, workshops and groups are supported by dedicated volunteers. 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 programmes 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

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 you feel you need.

How to contact us:

livewellwakefield@swyt.nhs.uk

“My pain management is better. I use the tools given for my mental health and pain. Dietary and physical wellbeing has improved, and I felt very supported and Positive.”

Arranging care before 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

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:

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

• 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/.

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 make recommendations. These visits take place in our hospitals, care homes, and other local health and care settings.

We always want new members for our panels and partnerships. These bring people together to discuss specific services like social care, children’s services, maternity, and mental health services, and then suggest improvements to the people who plan and run them.

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.

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)?

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

4

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.

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

6

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?

7

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.

8

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: Outstanding H Good ● Requires improvement ●

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 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.

GP Top tips

1

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

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

3

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

4

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

5 CQC launched its new-style inspection reports 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.

6

You can also use these new style inspection reports to find out more about local services and choose the one that is best for your needs.

7

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

Outstanding H Good ● Requires improvement ● Inadequate ●

8

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.

9

We 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

/CareQualityCommission @CareQualityComm

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.

Mental health Top tips

1 If you are concerned about your mental health you should first visit your GP

2 Your GP will assess you and offer appropriate advice or treatment. They can refer you to a psychological treatment service or a specialist mental health service for further advice or treatment.

3 Mental health services are free on the NHS but you will usually need a GP referral. If you don’t want to go to your GP you may also have the option of self-referral. This means you can go directly to a professional therapist. The NHS Choices website has a searchable directory of services which you can use to find a service near you.

4

If you are referred to a specialist mental health service, you can ask which other providers offer the same service in your local area and make a choice.

5 CQC launched its new-style inspection reports for mental health providers – looking at five key areas of Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-Led – you can compare reports on CQC’s website to help choose a provider.

6

CQC rates mental health providers to help people make choices about where they get treatment. They will use a four-point scale:

Outstanding H Good ● Requires improvement ● Inadequate ●

CQC uses information from the public and holds listening events across the country where people can talk with inspectors about their experience of services.

7 You can look at our inspection reports and ratings for mental health services or share your experiences of care (good or bad) by visiting www.cqc.org.uk

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

/CareQualityCommission @CareQualityComm

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 – this is called the upper capital limit, or UCL, and will rise to £100,000 from October 2025

• 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)

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.

Find out what care you need

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.

Having a carer who lives with you costs from around £800 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:

• around £700 a week in a residential home

• over £850 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

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 the limit 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.

MoneyHelper 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 (or £100,000 from October 2025) 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:

• MoneyHelper: deferred payment schemes

• Independent Age: do I have to sell my home to pay for residential care?

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

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

Telephone help

Get advice on paying for care from:

• Age UK on freephone 0800 055 6112

• Independent Age on freephone 0800 319 6789

• MoneyHelper on freephone 0800 011 3797

If your savings run out

If your savings fall below the upper capital limit of £23,250 (or £100,000 from October 2025), 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 the limit 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 below the limit 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 illness or hospital discharge (reablement)

United Against Dementia

Alzheimer’s

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.

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.

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.

How can you support Alzheimer’s Society?

1) Fundraising and events

From Memory Walk and Cupcake Day to challenging yourself in marathons and treks. There’s plenty of ways you can get involved to help raise money. Search ‘get involved’ on alzheimers.org.uk

2) Donate

Our dementia support services are made possible thanks to generous donations from the public. However, you don’t have to join an event or seek sponsorship to do this. Simply head to alzheimers.org.uk and donate what you can to unite against dementia.

3) Become a campaigner

At Alzheimer’s Society, we work to amplify the voices of people affected by dementia, to create a world where they get the support and care they deserve. We can’t do this alone. Whether you have dementia, you have a personal connection to dementia or you want to stand with those who do. Together we can make a difference, register to become a campaigner at alzheimers.org.uk

“Dementia can and does affect so many families, including mine.

“My father was diagnosed with vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in the summer of 2012. He passed away in September 2018.

“I wanted to do something to help raise awareness of the condition and tackle the stigma associated, so I reached out to Alzheimer’s Society to see if I could help. It gives me an enormous sense of pride being an Ambassador for Alzheimer’s Society and I feel like I’m making a difference.

“I have also personally enjoyed taking part in fundraising activities like Cupcake Day and Memory Walk, as there is a real sense of togetherness for a good cause.

“For anyone wanting to know how they can help, I’d say get involved. Whatever you can give, be that your time, voice or money, you’ll know you’ve made a difference to the lives of people affected by dementia.”

Meera Syal, actor and Alzheimer’s Society Ambassador

Get in touch

If you are affected by dementia in and would like information and support, contact us:

T: 0333 150 3456

W: alzheimers.org.uk/dementiaconnect

E: dementia.connect@alzheimers.org.uk