If you are not happy with the quality of care being provided to your elderly relative, then you should discuss this with the management team of the care provider in the first instance. If you are not happy with the response you have received, then you should report this to both the local Adult Social Services department who may regard this as a safeguarding issue and the Care Quality Commission who may want to take action under their regulatory powers.

There is nothing to stop you changing care providers, however you should consider the impact this change may have on the health and wellbeing of your elderly relative. This is especially true if they are in a care home and you are considering moving them to another home, as it may be hard for them to understand why they are being moved, especially if they appear to be happy and safe in their environment.

Yes, your elderly relative should still have some money to allow them to pay for items such as daily papers, hair dressers, podiatrists. The care home should provide a way of managing how much is spent and how it can be accessed. They will agree with family or professional involved how this may be topped up on a regular basis.

Most care homes are happy for you to visit at any time, but it is important to check with each home what their visiting policy is. Some homes may discourage visitors at meal times if they feel it will impact on their residents with Dementia, as they become easily distracted. This should be explained when viewing the home.

In extreme circumstances, such as in the recent COVID-19 Pandemic, visiting may be restricted or banned completed.

Each care home will have its own policy, but most will be happy to allow you to take your elderly relative out for a trip if they feel it is safe to do so. They will ask you to inform a member of staff before you leave and what time you are expected to return.  In some cases, it is advisable to let the home know in advance, this way they can assist your relative to be ready when you arrive.

Modern care homes provide rooms that are fully furnished, and this furniture is designed for the elderly, so it is more difficult to take large items of furniture. However, they are keen for your elderly relative to feel at home so will encourage them to bring smaller pieces of furniture if they can be accommodated in the room safely as well as pictures, books and other mementos that will help make it feel like home. Items such as armchairs will need to meet their fire regulations and you will be advised by the home manager what to look for.

When viewing the home, ask to see a sample menu and ask how frequently it is revised. They should provide a good range of meals and be able to cater for any special dietary needs your relative may have. Some homes source local produce or even grow their own, with the help of residents.
They should also be able to provide ‘an alternative’ for people who don’t see anything they like.

Provided the GP surgery is within the catchment area of the home, this should not be an issue. You will need to talk to your GP and the home to confirm.

There are many animal friendly care homes available, so if your elderly relative has a pet then you should talk to the home you are considering. There are times that homes will ‘adopt’ a small pet, so long as there are no risks to other residents.
Many homes have small animals visit on a regular basis, this is known as Pet Therapy, although not the same as the person’s own pet, it is a popular activity within care homes.

Different types of care home are designed and run to help people with different levels of need, so it is important to discuss this with the home and be satisfied that the home you are considering is able to cope with the level of wandering that your elderly relative does.

Different homes have different policies on smoking and drinking, so check this out with the home as part of your initial conversation.

Domiciliary Care Providers have to provide a comprehensive training programme for their staff to ensure they meet the standards required by local regulatory bodies and the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Each home care provider will be able to offer a range of care services. The services they deliver to meet your needs should be based on a care needs assessment. Your care provider should provide you with a care plan that details when the carers are due to visit and what they will be doing on each of those visits.

Domiciliary care providers should endeavour to schedule carer visits based on the days and times agreed in the care plan that has been agreed.

However, there will be occasions where visiting times will change, either in advance (for instance if your carer is on holiday) or at short notice (for instance if your carer is sick or there are traffic problems). In either circumstance, your care provider should give you as much notice as possible.

If you need to cancel a visit from your carer, let your care provider know as far in advance as possible. If you cancel at short notice you may still get charged for that visit by your provider.

Your provider should give you details of their visit cancellation policy when you first set up your home care package.

Generally, all three terms are interchangeable and mean the same thing, which is a service where carers visit you at home on a regular basis to help an elderly person. Visits generally last anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour and there will usually be one or more visit each day.

The number of visits, times and lengths of each visit and tasks that the carer will do are all agreed as part of a care assessment and care planning service which will identify the elderly persons care needs and detail how the home care services will help meet those needs.

This is differnt to live-in care, which is where a carer lives with you.

Yes, a live in carer does need to have their own bedroom. It is very important that they have any area of their own to relax and sleep in when they are not working. At a minimum the room needs to have a proper bed and a door that closes properly to ensure they haev privacy.

Every carer is entitled to 14 hours of breaks over the course of a working week, but this can be divided so it suits your needs.

Your live-in carer is likely to stay with you for periods of between 3 and 6 weeks and then take a break of 1-2 weeks, during which time your provider will organise a replacement carer.

Your live-in care provider should meet with you as part of the process of organising your care. As part of this they should ask questions about the sort of person you get on with and what your interests and hobbies are, so they can provide a carer who is likely to get on with you.

Absolutely. You can discuss this with your live-in care provider as part of the initial care assessment meeting or beforehand.

You should seek independent financial advice as soon as you or an elderly relative are considering paying for care. There are a number of Independent Financial Advisors who specialise in financial planning for care fees and we would recommend finding one who is a member of the Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA).

Clarity Care Consulting are also able to provide you with care funding advice.

As your elderly relatives funds approach the local authority financial thrshold, currently set at £23,250, you should contact your local authority to arrange a financial assessment.

It is advisable to inform your care provider as funds start to deplete, as most will provide support.

Each care home will have their own policy on what to do when funds run short. Most care homes will do everything possible to support the person to remain in their care home, which may include offering a less expensive room for your elderly relative to move into.

It will take time to release funds in this situation, so you should speak to the care home, as they will have their own policy on this.

If your local authority is helping to fund your care then speak to them about the 12 week property disregard scheme.

You may be eligable for a Deferred PAyments Scheme. This is where the local authority pays your fees and takes a charge on your house. They will charge you interest. All local authorities operate these schemes slightly differently so you will need to contact them for more details.

Continuing Health Care is where the NHS fund your care home fees because you have complex care needs. This is not means tested but there are very strict criteria and most care home and nursing home residents are not eligable to receive it. More information can be found on the NHS website.

If you believe that you are eligable for Continuing Health Care then we can provide you with funding advice and assistance with the process.