As people age, staying in their own home can become complicated. In order to remain independent, some people find they need assistance with daily tasks like meal preparation, housework, and bathing.
For other people, particularly those living with dementia or other significant health issues, more extensive adult care services are needed.
In many cases, people who need non-residential care can receive support through Darlington Borough Council. How do you go about accessing social care in Darlington? Here’s what you need to know.
First, let’s discuss the kind of care that is available. For people who need help with daily tasks like meal preparation, housework, and bathing, there are companies that offer home care services. To buy the support you need, you can contact them directly. If you are not sure what you need or you are having difficulties, Adult Social Care can assess the support you need and whether or not you are eligible for support. There is no charge for assessment of needs and care planning because they are not services that meet needs.
Some types of care are also provided free of charge by the Council, including intermediate care, care and support for people with Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease, after-care services provided under the Mental Health Act of 1983, and other services that the NHS is responsible for providing. These services include Continuing Healthcare and a contribution to Registered Nursing Care. The assessment will determine which types of care you will need to pay for, and the social care-funded support you can get to help with the cost of your care.
How is eligibility determined?
In the interest of fairness, any person with non-residential care needs must go through a financial assessment so that their ability to contribute towards the cost of care may be established. The goal of a financial assessment is to maximize any benefits to which a person may be entitled, without providing unnecessary aid to those with significant financial resources. If an initial assessment indicates that you are eligible for care and support, an appointment will be arranged to allow you to meet with a Visiting Finance Officer. This officer will gather information about your finances, to determine whether or not you will be required to contribute to your own care.
During your assessment, you are entitled to have someone with you, if you prefer. This person can be an appointee who helps you claim your benefits, the person with your power of attorney over financial affairs, or someone appointed by the Court of Protection to safeguard your interests.
If you feel you need an advocate to help you present your views during this meeting, you are entitled to have that person present as well. Individuals who lack the capacity to give consent to a financial assessment and who do not have any of the above people with authority to be involved in their affairs, may require the appointment of a Property and Affairs Deputyship. Family members can apply for this to the Court of Protection, or the Council can apply if there are no family involved in the care of the person.
While this takes some weeks, it then enables the person appointed to access information about bank accounts and financial affairs. A person with dementia for example should not be ‘forced’ to undertake a financial assessment, to sign documents they can no longer understand, or to be punished for any incomplete information that is elicited from them. Instead, the Council will work with the EPA, LPA or the Deputies.
What’s involved in a financial assessment?
During an assessment, a Visiting Financial Assessment Officer will calculate the individual’s total income and capital, calculating disregards and allowances. The Officer will also complete a Disability Related Expenditure Assessment and undertake a comprehensive welfare rights check. The goal of the Officer is to support the individual in determining their best options for paying charges, including offering the person a deferred payment agreement.
What if someone does not agree to a financial assessment?
If a person decides not to supply all of the information necessary to complete the assessment, which has been requested on the Financial Assessment form, he or she will be asked to fill out a Non-Disclosure of Financial Information Declaration. At that point, that person will be liable for the full actual cost of services. Those people, as well as people who have capital in excess of the upper capital limit, will be provided with information about how they will be charged, as well as information detailing their right to request Council support and what support is available to help them make their own arrangements for care.
What happens after the assessment?
When the assessment has been completed, an estimated charge for services will be provided, along with an explanation of the assessment, how much the charge will be and how often it is to be made. However, when an assessed need is identified, services will be provided whether or not the financial assessment has been completed. Only the income of the person seeking care will be considered in the assessment, and because the person will be receiving care at home, the amount of money necessary to pay living expenses such as rent, food, and utilities will be taken into account.
What benefits might require contribution from the person receiving care?
Though this is not an exhaustive list, people receiving support may be required to contribute towards things such as:
- Domestic care
- Sleepovers
- Sitting services
- Day Care
- Transport for community care services
- Social activities like visiting a museum
- Assistive technology like Telecare
- Items purchased through a personal budget, and any adaptations or equipment that cost more than £1,000
If a person requires more than one carer, the contribution required will be based on the cost of all carers.
Are carers eligible for support, as well?
A carer is someone who takes care of someone else. Carers can be any age and may be related to the person for whom they are caring. In many cases, in fact, individuals may not wish to be considered carers because they are taking care of a loved one, like a disabled child or an ageing parent or spouse. Even if they cannot see themselves as being in a caring role – they are, and as carers, they are entitled to certain benefits.
What type of care provided identifies someone as a carer? It could be helping to make meals, cleaning the house, shopping, helping with washing, dressing eating, or monitoring that medication is taken. A carer may look out for someone’s safety, provide emotional support, or remind the person of things they need to do that they cannot remember to do. When a person’s care needs are being assessed, the carer should be there. Additionally, carers should undergo their own assessment, to determine their eligibility for benefits, including a carer’s allowance.
Darlington Borough Council strives to keep charges fair and clear, ensuring that people only pay what they can afford.
The financial assessment is a means test to determine the financial support to which people are entitled, and it’s based on the principle that people should not be charged more than is reasonably practical for them to pay. The framework is designed to be comprehensive so that there is minimal variation in the way that people are assessed and charged, and transparent so that people understand what they will be charged.
The Council promotes well-being and social inclusion, supporting the vision of personalisation, independence, choice and control. Committed to a person-focused approach, the Darlington Borough Council works to help people find the right options to meet their needs, as well as supporting carers to look after their own well-being so they can provide effective care. The Council will also ensure that people have the information and advice they need and that they or their representatives understand the availability of independent financial information and advice.
Organising care via the council can be complicated, but when you are looking for affordable private home care in Darlington, Shine Care At Home is here to help. For over ten years, Shine Care At Home has been providing specialist, person-centred at-home and live-in care services for people with care needs, to give those people and their families the peace of mind that comes with knowing they are being well cared for.
Providing high-quality service based on connection, kindness, and compassion, we offer live-in care services, dementia care services, personal care services, older person companion care services and respite care services in Darlington, exceeding standards and expectations to help our clients live their best possible lives. For more information about our services, call 0191 488 3413 or contact us through our website.