Care For The Older Generation

It is essential that you start by planning how you will provide elderly care support, and you think about whether you are going to take on the responsibility alone, or other family members will be involved. Plan what support you need by researching car options, so you can make an informed choice about how to look after your elderly parent at home.

We know through our experience that planning your decision now, in advance of when a decision simply must be made, promises a much better outcome for you and your loved one. Planning care in a pressured situation or in an emergency or crisis means that any care arrangement that may be put in place may be rushed.

Everyone’s care needs are unique, so it is important that your loved ones’ care needs are assessed by your local authority so you can develop a plan of care as early as possible. The care plan will then guide you to provide the right level of care to your loved one. Engaging your loved one in this process is critical. This means they will feel involved in the decisions that need to be taken so are more likely to respond well when care is provided.

The care assessment is free to anyone over the age of 18 and will identify what is required to help you loved one with day-to-day tasks. Following the assessment, they will make recommendations, which may include:

• Equipment required, like a personal alarm or a walking frame
• Practical help needed from you or a paid carer
• Home adaptations that would make life easier for your loved one, like a walk-in shower or grab rails in the hallway
• Day care services available, or lunch clubs that your loved one can attend to give you a respite from your caring role
• Advice on care at home services and care homes

A care plan will then detail the daily tasks that your loved one needs to complete and the support that is required to enable them to live as independently as possible. It will capture everything from the support they need with getting up, washed and dressed, through to what times they need to eat or to take medication, but also how they wish enjoy social time and activities.

Whether you choose to look after an elderly parent at home or receive professional care there are financial considerations. If you have decided to look after your loved one, you may be forced to consider your employment situation and reduce the hours you work, which may not be financially viable for you. It is then worth looking at this in line with whether there is an any funding available to you to have care at home.

You may be entitled to healthcare funding through your local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) if your loved one has an identified healthcare need. Depending on their financial circumstances they may qualify for all or part social care funding from your local authority.

If you do not qualify for any funding, you will be required to pay for the care yourself, this is referred to as self-funding care. There are many options as to how you can finance the care yourself and care fees insurance policies that could pay your care fees over the longer term. It might be that you qualify for some funding to meet your care and support costs, and that you part fund the remainder yourself.

You may be eligible to claim carers allowance, if you spend at least 35 hours a week caring for them. This would include help you provide with washing and cooking, helping with household tasks and managing bills and shopping and accompanying them to doctors’ visits and other appointments.

Caring for a loved one who may be living with increasing needs, that impact their independence can really take its toll. There is nothing wrong in admitting that the situation is becoming difficult or challenging for you, and you need the support of professional care. While many of us had always vowed to look after our parents in older age until the end of their life, sadly deteriorating health and the impact of other elderly conditions, like dementia make it no longer safe or practical. It is worth acknowledging that by putting a suitable long-term care arrangement in place it allows you to go back to being the loving son or daughter you used to be, with care and support being provided by a specialist carer. This can improve the quality of life not only for your loved one, but for you.

When researching care available to the elderly, it is important that you understand the differences between different types of providers. There are two options available to you; a regulated service provider, whose service is registered and inspected by the health and social care regulator the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Then there are agencies, whose service is not inspected by the regulator and whose carers will be self-employed.

When arranging care at home you will need to consider how much involvement you want in managing the care your loved one receives. A fully managed service is just that. You will benefit from carers that are employed and typically stay in their roles longer offering continuity of care. Carers go through comprehensive training before they are placed with a client, so you have reassurance that they have the skills and aptitude to look after your elderly parent. In addition, you will receive management and supervision of the service provided by your professional carer. We know that families that receive our fully managed live-in care service, are provided with the much-needed peace of mind and reassurance at a time they need it most. A fully managed service like ours is also regulated.

The Good Care Group is the only dedicated live-in care provider in England to achieve an ‘Outstanding’ rating by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) across all five categories – safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. In Scotland our service has been inspected by the Care Inspectorate (CI), receiving the highest rating of a 6 (Excellent) for Quality of Care and Support and 5 (Very Good) for Staffing and Management and Leadership. We know this provides families with peace of mind that their loved one is receiving the best possible care.

In contrast, if you choose an introduction agency, the carers are self-employed and once introduced they will need to be supervised, managed and paid by you. If they need a holiday or are unwell then you will need to either arrange cover, or care for your loved one yourself. This of, course can cause you much stress if you are left to find alternative care arrangements at the last minute. They are also not regulated and inspected by CQC so you cannot be assured that the service they provide is of the highest quality.

For families looking after elderly parents at home, many will seek recommendations from those they know as we do with other things we buy. There are also many rate and review sites, like Trustpilot and Homecare.co.uk who will have reviews for providers you may be considering. Alternatively, you could ask your local authority. They help families looking for elderly care support by providing a list they consider to be high-quality providers. Providers on their preferred suppliers list, will have been closely vetted by the authority so you can be reassured that that care offered is of a high standard. The UKHCA (United Kingdom Home Care Association) will also have a list of reputable providers for you to choose from.

The Good Care Group has been providing high quality live in care to clients across the country for over 10 years. Our care is focused on keeping people safely and happily in the comfort and familiarity of their own home, whilst improving their overall health and wellbeing. Care is provided on a one-to-one basis and is highly personalised reflecting not just an individual’s care needs, but their choices, wishes and social preferences so they are able to maintain as much independence as possible and live a healthy and happy life.

We are the only live-in care provider to have been rated ‘Outstanding’ by CQC in all five key measures - safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. In Scotland our service has been inspected by the Care Inspectorate (CI), receiving the highest rating of a 6 (Excellent) for Quality of Care and Support and 5 (Very Good) for Staffing and Management and Leadership. We know this provides families with peace of mind that their loved one is receiving the best possible care.

For those living with specialist conditions, like dementia, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) or for those requiring stroke care, cancer care or palliative care, our expert live-in carers are highly trained to provide care and support that positively enhances quality of life, enabling people to live well in their own homes.

Our nurse-led care for those living with complex medical conditions is lead and supported by a dedicated Specialist Consultant Nurse, who works closely with our care teams to ensure we are consistently improving our client’s health outcomes.