For many home care clients, that might mean assistance with shopping, cooking, cleaning, taking medication, washing, and dressing – but the right home care is entirely based on your needs and wishes.

People opt for UK home care services to make sure their loved ones aren’t lonely or finding it difficult to cope, ensuring every individual is cared for with dignity and respect in the privacy and comfort of their own home, without needing to move to a care facility or residential care home.

Where Can I Access UK Home Care?

Home care is a broad sector, and you can organise the right level of care in several ways. That might be through:

•   An independent, CQC-registered home care agency or company
•   A self-employed care provider
•   Informal care from family members and friends

Care in the home might range from a visit once a day to check you are well, regular care on a daily or weekly basis, or a 24/7 live-in care service, where a professional, compassionate carer remains in your home.

In some cases, local councils may contribute to care costs, and we will explain how that works and what to expect from the care assessment process shortly.

The contrast between home care and other point-of-treatment healthcare services is that the NHS and adult social services departments do not provide free home care services. There are potential options to apply for funding support, but there isn’t a National Care Service.

That means you have discretion over who you wish to provide your care or that for your loved one, and can make autonomous decisions over the type of home care you organise.

What Types of Home Care Services Are Available?

As we’ve mentioned, home care is a general term and should always be adapted to you. You might wish to organise overnight care for a loved one who lives alone and finds it distressing if they wake at night and need assistance visiting the bathroom, for example.

Alternatives include specialist home care services like companionship care, where a friendly, warm, and kind carer spends time with you or your relative to ensure they have a familiar face attending their home each day to chat, keep them company, and cook a relaxing evening meal.

Home care can benefit those with health conditions, mobility limitations or frailty, but it isn’t necessarily only suitable for older people. You might consider home care if you or somebody close to you:

•   Finds moving around your home alone difficult.
•   Struggles with manual tasks, such as dressing and laundry.
•   Needs help taking medications.
•   Requires assistance with shopping and other daily chores.

One of the most important aspects of home care is that it is always delivered in your home and to your specifications. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ home care, and if you feel supported, happy, and comfortable, you can live at home independently for as long as you wish.

Personal care, such as help with washing, dressing, and administering medicines, should only be delivered by a home care provider that is registered with the CQC, the care sector regulator.

However, families can pitch in or hire a local person to provide home help, covering things like shopping, gardening, and cleaning. While the choice is yours, it is advisable to use a registered, regulated agency to ensure the safety and welfare of the individual being supported is always paramount.

CQC-registered agencies follow strict regulations around hiring professional carers, ensuring they have a good level of training and skills, and maintain high-quality standards.

Who Is Eligible for Home Care?

Anybody needing help, practical support, companionship, or assistance can access home care. Because the service is not provided through the NHS or any other government agency, you do not need any approval or other formal consent to hire a home care agency of your choosing.

It may be possible to apply to your local council for a needs assessment, which they are legally obliged to provide if requested, even if means testing indicates you are not eligible for financial assistance.

That said, an assessment can be a valuable first step to identifying the best care services for you or your loved one, where an adult social services visitor will discuss the following:

•   The help you feel you would most benefit from.
•   Things you cannot do without assistance.
•   Routines and tasks you feel happy to manage independently.

Many families find it difficult to understand how the ideal home care routine would work or are unsure whether they need visiting care or a long-term schedule of overnight care, so working through the assessment can be insightful.

Funding Support With Home Care

Eligibility for council support depends on your physical and mental health, age, underlying conditions, and ability to live safely and happily in your home.

Family caregivers can also schedule an assessment if they provide primary care for a loved one and feel they need respite care or that the demands of being the sole care provider are having a negative impact on their well-being.

However, a needs assessment is optional. There is no obligation to request this service if you do not feel it would be beneficial or are uncomfortable having your needs assessed.

How to Choose the Right Home Care Services

The best way to decide on the right balance of independence and care is to speak to a local home care team, who will happily share their experience, guidance and knowledge about home care services and schedules.

Guardian Angel Carers  is a nationwide homecare franchise network of exceptional home care providers, each locally run and managed by passionate teams who provide varied, flexible, and person-first care to their communities.

If you are unsure what type of home care would be the right solution for you or your loved one, wish to explore potential costs, or would like to learn more about visiting care, personal care, and live-in or domiciliary assistance, please get in touch with your nearest office location for a friendly, confidential chat.