As people get older, many choose to remain in their own homes instead of moving somewhere for care. If you need care at home, there are resources available to help you acquire it.
Here, we discuss how to access adult social care in Durham, with help from the Durham County Council.
There are many different services available to help people continue to live independently, in their own homes. If you need care, here are some of the forms of support in place to help you.
- Home adaptations change your home to improve its safety. Certain adaptations can also help your carer, if you have one, take care of you. There are several companies that can complete the work necessary to adapt your home, and if you live in social housing, your landlord may also be able to help you. In some cases, if you are having trouble manoeuvring around your home, because of your age or a disability, you may be eligible for a Disabled Facilities Grant to fund necessary adaptations.
- Equipment is available to help you manage within your home. In addition to adaptations, you may be able to use equipment to make your home safer and easier to manage. Contacting the Council’s Equipment Advice Service is an effective way to get free and impartial advice about products that might meet your needs if you are having trouble managing your everyday activities. You can also make an appointment and visit the Independent Living House in Spennymoor, where a wide variety of equipment is available for you to try. Equipment you may find useful includes walking frames, stools, bath and stair lifts, telecare equipment, and sensory support products. Telecare alarm and sensor systems are particularly useful, because they recognise when a potential emergency may be about to occur. If you have an accident or are unwell, these devices can help you get help at home, because they’re liked to a community alarm service, a relative, or a carer. Care Connect is the Durham County alarm service, designed to allow vulnerable people to call for assistance, manned by a highly trained staff who can determine whether or not you need emergency services. The Council does not sell equipment but can connect you with suppliers. There is also the Community Equipment Service, which specialises in lending equipment to people who are ill or disabled. During your care assessment, it can be determined whether you are eligible to borrow equipment.
- Sometimes, short-term therapy is necessary. This is called reablement, and it is meant to help those who need to relearn skills or master new skills. You might need short-term therapy because of an illness, impairment, disability, or accident. These therapy sessions only go for six weeks at the most, but they can help you regain the skills to carry out your daily activities and tasks on your own. During therapy, trained staff will help you feel supported in your home while enabling you to safely practice the skills you’re learning. Reablement is free of charge, and typically accomplishes the stated goals before the six weeks are up.
- Home care can provide assistance with daily activities. Something that can interfere with a person’s independence is the loss of ability to do the things that were once familiar daily tasks. If you need help with personal care, including getting up and lying down, personal hygiene, and eating and drinking, or chores like laundry, ironing, cleaning, and shopping, home care may be the solution to your problem. Except in very unusual circumstances, however, home care services are not provided at a subsidised cost.
- There are services that will deliver meals to your home. The Durham County Council does not pay for meals or delivery, even if you are eligible for care and support. However, you can access a list of meal providers on the Council’s website, in the “Assistance at Home” section.
- Sitting and visiting care can provide carers with much-needed respite. There are many organisations and charities that will provide sitting and visiting services, in order to offer companionship, support, or personal care that an older person might need at home. This is a boon to those in need of personal help, but it also offers carers an opportunity to step away for a little while and take a break from their caring work.
How do you know if you’re eligible to receive care?
If you need to have your care needs assessed, contact Social Care Direct. You will be able to speak to a trained contact officer, who will ask you questions and help you find the help and support you need. The contact officer will be able to determine not only the type of care that would benefit you but also whether you are eligible for support from Durham County Council.
To be eligible for care and support services, an individual’s needs for care must have a significant impact on his or her well-being and must be the result of or related to physical or mental impairment or illness. This impairment can be the result of ageing, but it can also include conditions like mental, sensory, learning, or cognitive disabilities or illnesses, substance abuse, or brain injury. The need for care and support must be disruptive to the person’s ability to achieve two or more of the following outcomes:
- Maintaining proper nutrition
- Sustaining personal hygiene
- Dressing oneself appropriately
- The ability to use one’s home safely
- Keeping the home environment habitable
- Development and maintenance of personal relationships
- Engaging in activities like work, training, education, or volunteering
- Using community facilities or services like public transport and recreational facilities
- Taking care of responsibilities that might be necessary in caring for a child.
Being unable to achieve these outcomes means that the person cannot do these things without assistance, sometimes cannot do them even with assistance, or, in other situations, can accomplish these actions, but not without significant pain, distress, or anxiety. People who are unable to achieve these outcomes without endangering the health or safety of themselves or others, or who take significantly longer than would normally be expected, negatively impacting their well-being.
Carers need support, too. If you are a carer, you can request to have your needs assessed so that you can get support in your caring role.
How do you know if you qualify as a carer?
If you are an adult who provides necessary care for another adult without pay, you are a carer. This can be an extremely demanding job, and under the Care Act of 2014, you are entitled to a Carer’s Assessment.
For carers to be eligible for support, they must meet three criteria. First, the carer’s need for support must arise because of the care they’re providing to an adult. This care must be necessary care that the care receiver must be unable to complete on his or her own. Next, the carer’s physical or mental health must be deteriorating or at risk of deteriorating because of the caring responsibilities. The third qualification is that the strain caused by caring for the individual is significantly detrimental to the carer’s well-being. The eligibility of the person receiving care does not factor into the eligibility of the carer to receive support.
Unlike health care services, which are free of charge, support systems typically have a cost. The Council can help you with information about charging, how to apply for financial aid, and different ways to afford your care and support services. The cost will vary depending on your situation: people with income and savings over £23,250 will have to pay the entire bill via private carers. For those with an income between £14,250 and £23,250, a contribution must be made. If you have less than £14,250, you won’t be responsible for any payments.
In most cases, people who qualify for support are eligible for Direct Payments. The benefit of receiving Direct Payments rather than having services arranged for you is that getting the money directly allows you to be in charge of your support arrangements. You will have more independence and flexibility in choosing your care and meeting your own needs. If you need help deciding whether Direct Payments are the right option for you, you can consult with social care staff for guidance.
Some people choose to use Direct Payments to engage personal care assistants who can help them to live independently by assisting with various tasks. There are certain restrictions on Direct Payments. They cannot be used to buy health services or long-term residential care, pay household bills and other personal expenses, or purchase services directly provided by the local authority. Typically, Direct Payments cannot be used to employ close relatives who live in your home. It should be noted, though, that because Direct Payments are not considered income or a benefit, they will not have any impact on other benefits you may be receiving.
Organising care via the Council can be complicated, but when you’re looking for affordable private home care in Durham, 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’re 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 Durham, 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 today.