What home care covers
Home care, also called domiciliary care, is help in your own home with things like washing, dressing, meals and medication. Visits can be short and regular, overnight or live-in.
Get an assessment
Norfolk County Council can assess your care needs for free, and carry out a financial assessment to see whether it will help with the cost. If the council funds your care, you can ask for a direct payment and arrange the care yourself. Unpaid carers can ask for a carer's assessment of their own.
Check CQC registration
Agencies that provide personal care in England must be registered with the Care Quality Commission. Look up the agency at cqc.org.uk and read its latest rating and inspection report.
Some introductory agencies only put you in touch with self-employed carers and do not manage the care themselves. They may not need to be registered with the CQC, and you take on more responsibility. Ask which arrangement you are being offered.
Questions to ask
- How long are visits, and is travel time taken out of that?
- Will the same carers come each time?
- What happens if a carer is ill or running late?
- How do carers record what they did, and can family see it?
- What training do carers have, for example in dementia care or giving medication?
- How much notice do you need to change or stop the care?
Paying for care
If you pay for your own care, ask for the hourly rates in writing, including any higher rates for evenings, weekends and bank holidays.
Attendance Allowance is a benefit for people over State Pension age who need help because of an illness or disability. It is not means-tested. People under State Pension age may be able to claim Personal Independence Payment instead. Check eligibility on gov.uk.
Agreements and complaints
You should get a care plan and a written agreement that sets out the visits, the tasks and the fees. Complain to the agency first. If that does not settle it, you can go to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.