Care Homes

Thinking about moving to a care home?

Moving into a care home is an important decision which is best not made in a hurry.  There may be alternatives to going into a home.  If the decision is made to move to a home, then this section tells you about the different homes available in the Falkirk area and suggests how to choose one that will suit you.

 

Is full-time care and support what you want and need?

You or your relative may not need to move to a care home.  Perhaps some adaptations to your own home – like a "grab rail" in the bathroom, would make it possible for you to stay there.  You could also be entitled to some extra help, such as home care, personal or domestic support, meals on wheels or Mobile Emergency Care Service (MECS) which will help you stay on at home.

 

 

You may also be entitled to social security benefits if you need help with care (which you don't get at the moment).  Extra cash could make staying in your own home a bit easier.  You can find out about these benefits from the Department of Work and Pensions |or Citizens Advice Bureau|.  Social Work Services also has its own Community Advice Service who can give advice on all benefits and offer money advice. They can be contacted on tel. 01324 501404 or by email cas@falkirk.gov.uk|

 

Some nursing or care homes offer short breaks (respite).  Staying in a home for a few days or weeks might give you, or someone else who helps support you at home, a break and can also allow you to see how living in a care home suits you.

 

Some private agencies provide different services such as night sitters and home visitors, and if you are lonely or isolated voluntary groups may be able to help.

 

You can find out about these and other services from your local Social Work Office|.  They will be able to assess how much help you need, and this will help you decide whether you need 24 hour care in a home.

 

If, after talking to a Social Worker, Occupational Therapist or maybe a Specialist Nurse, you decide that you are unable look after yourself in your own home, you should consider a care home.

 

Which is the best home?

That depends on the answers to many questions, but the answers have to be what you want and what will suit you.  It is going to be your home, and it should suit your needs and your personality.  After meeting the manager and staff, you should feel confident that they will do their best to help you and make it feel like your home.

 

With the introduction in 2002 of "Care Homes", the home you choose should be able to deal with your care needs, whether they include nursing support or not.

 

Some important facts you should look for could include:

 

• How many care staff are there on duty each day and night to support residents?  (The more there are, the more personal the care can be, and the more time they will have to spend with you).
• Do most people have their own room – a place for real privacy, peace and quiet?
• Do you feel welcome when you go to visit?
• What can you choose to do (or not do)?

Remember, the manager should answer any of your questions however trivial they may seem to you.

 

You should ask the manager to see a copy of the most recent annual inspection report, prepared by the Care Commission as this will provide an independent view of the Care Home.

 

Every home is inspected regularly by the Care Commission.  The views of existing residents are very important in the inspection.  The report will give you some idea of what the place is like for them.

How to choose a Home that will suit you

If you decide to move into a home it is important you choose one that will meet your needs.  Here are some of the points you should think about:

 

• Where is the home?
• Is it in an area I know and like?
• Can I continue with the social activities I enjoyed while I lived in my own home?
• Would I prefer a large home or a small one?
• Will I be able to control the heating in my room or open a window?
• Will I be able to get up and go to bed when I want to?
• Can I choose what I eat and when I eat?
• Will I be able to smoke or drink alcohol if I want to?
• Will I be able to look after my pension book and finances?
• How much personal spending money will I have?
• What are the fees?
• Can I get help with the cost?
• How many residents are there?
• Will I have my own room, can I redecorate it and will I be able to lock the door?
• Can I bring my own furniture?
• Can I come and go as I please?
• Could I make food for myself or my visitors if I wanted to?
• Will I be able to keep my own GP, arrange my own appointments, see my GP in private, look after my own medicine?
• Is there a residents' committee?
• Have they changed anything about the life in the home, after consultation with residents?
• Does the home provide a brochure with more information?
• Can I have a temporary stay?
• "What are the fees"?
• What will I need to sign?   

 

Temporary Stays

Once you have visited a few care homes you might want to think about arranging to stay at one for a few weeks to see if you like it.  Care Homes often let people have a temporary stay before they decide whether to move in, its often called an "assessment" or "trial" period.  It is for you to decide whether that home is what you want, and for the staff to decide what level of support you need.  You will need to find out how much this will cost, how the fees will be paid and what you will need to take with you.

 

During your stay, think about this information again.  Ask yourself:

• Does this home meet my needs?
• Do I feel relieved not to be looking after myself at home or would I really rather be in my own home?

You should not be rushed into making a decision about moving in to stay, you might like to go home again before you decide.

 

 

It is advisable to retain your existing accommodation until you have spent some time in the home and made a final decision about staying there permanently.

 

How much will it cost?

Private and voluntary sector homes

 

At the time of writing the current Scottish rate for private and voluntary sector homes is, £430 for care homes with nursing support, or £367 for care homes without nursing support. Some homes charge more than these standard rates and some also charge extra for the likes of newspapers, toiletries, hairdressing, continence aids, physiotherapy, occupational therapy etc.  It is important that you know exactly what the fees are and what they are for.

 

Local Authority Homes

 

Local Authority homes are required to charge a fee determined by various factors, not the national  rates as with private and voluntary sector homes.  The fees may therefore vary depending on the home.

 

Free Personal & Nursing Care

 

If you are aged 65 or over you may be entitled to the national free personal and/or nursing care rates, currently £145 & £65 respectively, to help towards the cost of your stay in the home.

 

If you are aged under 65 you may be entitled to the national free nursing care rate, currently £65, to help towards the cost of your stay in the home.

 

Entitlement to this financial assistance is based on your care needs and not your financial circumstances.  The rate of payment, if any, will be determined by an assessment of your care needs which is undertaken by a Social Worker, OT or other care professional.

 

Additional Financial Assistance

 

Following an assessment of your care needs, an individual financial assessment will be carried out to establish your income, savings and capital assets over and above any free personal care/nursing care support.  If you have capital over £18,500 no additional financial assistance will be available.  The Local Authority will always disregard a personal allowance, currently £17.50, from your income.  The Local Authority will let you know how much it will contribute towards the cost of your stay in the home and what you will be expected to contribute.

 

Top ups

 

There may be occasions where the Local Authority contribution plus your assessed contribution do not fully meet the homes charge.  This will only happen where a private or voluntary sector home charges more than the national standard rate.  In this case a "top up" is required.  This can be made by a third party, such as a spouse, relative, friend, or even a charity.  There are very limited circumstances where a resident may also pay the top up over and above his or her own assessed contribution.

 

Contracts

If you are paying care home fees privately with no assistance from  Housing & Social Work Services, it is advisable to have a contract with the Home.  This should set out the obligations and expectations on each side – for you and the Home.  Your lawyer will be able to advise you.  The contract should include any circumstances in which a resident might be asked to leave, how much notice they would get and who would be responsible for finding alternative accommodation.  It should also include how much notice you would have to give before leaving the Home. 

 

Here are some of the questions the contract should cover:

• What would happen if there is a change in your health and you need more nursing care or to go into hospital?
• Would my place be kept if I had a period in hospital?
• How long for?
• How much would it cost?
• What happens if you are not able to meet an increase in fees?
• What if you want to complain?  (All Homes, no matter the size, must have an approved complaints procedure).

 

Further information and details of care homes in the area can be found here|.