Care and support in the home

My Family, Our Needs is an online resource providing impartial information for parents, carers and practitioners supporting children from birth to 25 years with additional needs. As well as guidance, policy and signposting, there is a lifestyle section for parents covering topics such as health and wellbeing, work, family and relationships. Visit www.myfamilyourneeds.co.uk

Carefully chosen home care with a good-quality provider is an excellent way to retain your freedom and independence, whilst getting the help you need to stay happy and safe. It can offer the opportunity to stay at home, in your own familiar surroundings, and to retain a quality of life you might have feared lost.

Why choose home care?

Reasons for choosing home care can vary. Sometimes after a stay in hospital, someone might find they need some help whilst they recuperate.

Others can find that a long-term condition or disability means they can no longer cope and they need a bit of help and support with daily tasks.

After a stay in hospital someone may carry out an assessment of your situation to see if home care will benefit you. You and your family will be fully involved in looking at what will suit you best if you’d like them to be.

Alternatively, you or those close to you might notice changes in your ability to manage the day-to-day things you normally cope with easily, like preparing meals or looking after yourself. If this happens, contacting Adult Social Care is a good first step towards finding help.

How home care can help you

The level of home care provided can be tailored to meet your needs – from a visit once a day to a much greater amount of support.

Even those with quite significant and debilitating medical conditions can get skilled personal care that can enable them to stay in their own homes. Some agencies will provide live-in care, where a care worker will stay with you at home to support you throughout the day and night. See below for more information about live-in care.

A list of all home care agencies operating in Nottinghamshire starts on page 25.

Live-in care

Live-in care is a viable alternative to residential care, where a fully trained care worker lives and works in your own home to support your individual needs and help you maintain your independence. The carer must be allowed breaks and have somewhere to sleep at night.

Support available from live-in carers can range from personal care and mobility assistance to more complex health requirements, as necessary. The cost of live-in care varies depending on your circumstances, including the level, type and duration of care that you require.

Any organisation that employs live-in carers is required to register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and ensure that its employees follow the essential standards of quality and safety in their practices. For more information about the CQC, see page 55.