Home Care for You

Home Care for You: A Comprehensive Guide by Bay Care

Selecting the right person or company to provide care and support for yourself or a loved one is a significant decision. You need someone who is compassionate, knowledgeable, skilled, reliable, and most importantly, trustworthy.

This guide walks you through the key points to consider when exploring different care options.

Step 1: Identify Your Daily Needs

Start by listing the daily activities for which you need assistance. Examples include:

• Morning Routine: Getting up, having a nutritious breakfast, and preparing for the day.
• Companionship: Someone to chat with, go shopping, or visit friends.
• Medication Management: Picking up prescriptions from the pharmacy, perhaps bi-weekly.
• Housekeeping: Keeping your home clean and tidy.
• Laundry: Washing and ironing clothes.
• Meal Preparation: Cooking healthy meals.
• Personal Care: Bathing and getting ready for bed.

If you are a caregiver for a loved one, you might need someone to stay with them, providing you with a much-needed break or overnight rest.

Step 2: Plan Your Budget for Care

Consider how you will finance the care and support needed. You may be eligible for financial assistance, which depends on the type and amount of care required and your financial situation.

You can request a community care assessment from the adult social services department of your local council. They are obligated to assess your care needs, which usually involves a social worker or care manager visiting your home to discuss what help you need and your goals for having a care worker. Note that an assessment of 'need' may differ from assessing what you 'want.'

The council will determine if you have 'eligible' needs that can be publicly funded. If eligible, they will perform a financial assessment to decide how much financial help you can receive towards the cost of care.

For more details, visit our Help with Funding page.

Step 3: Arrange Care and Support

The council may arrange care on your behalf through private companies or charities. Alternatively, you might arrange your own care due to receiving a personal budget, not meeting the council’s eligibility criteria, or preferring to manage care independently.

The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) offers guidance on care services, available at www.findmegoodcare.co.uk.

Step 4: Choose Between a Care Agency and a Personal Assistant

When seeking care at home, decide whether to employ a personal assistant directly or use a domiciliary care agency like Bay Care.

Comparison of Bay Care Services vs. Employing a Personal Assistant:

1. Recruitment and Background Checks
   • Bay Care: We recruit suitable care workers and conduct rigorous checks, including references and criminal records.
   • Personal Assistant: You handle advertising, interviewing, reference checks, and hiring.
2. Employment Terms
   • Bay Care: We employ care workers under agreed contracts, requiring adherence to our policies and procedures for safe care.
   • Personal Assistant: You draft an employment contract with appropriate terms and conditions.
3. Needs Assessment
   • Bay Care: We assess your needs to decide which services to provide and how.
   • Personal Assistant: You determine the services required and how they should be provided.
4. Matching and Scheduling
   • Bay Care: We match your needs with a suitable care worker and arrange a timetable for services.
   • Personal Assistant: You coordinate the schedule, managing any issues if the assistant fails to show up.
5. Payroll Management
   • Bay Care: We handle payroll, tax, and national insurance.
   • Personal Assistant: You make the necessary tax and insurance deductions.
6. Policies and Procedures
   • Bay Care: Our comprehensive policies ensure safe and competent care.
   • Personal Assistant: You create a job description and other necessary documentation for the assistant’s duties.
7. Training and Supervision
   • Bay Care: We train and supervise care workers, enforcing disciplinary procedures if needed.
   • Personal Assistant: You manage performance and discipline, setting clear expectations.
8. Health and Safety
   • Bay Care: We conduct health and safety risk assessments.
   • Personal Assistant: You determine and conduct necessary risk assessments.
9. Insurance and Liability
   • Bay Care: We have professional liability insurance and meet health and safety responsibilities.
   • Personal Assistant: You secure adequate insurance for injuries to the assistant or yourself.
10. Cover and Continuity
    • Bay Care: We ensure continuity of care with a team of workers available to cover absences.
    • Personal Assistant: You need backup plans for the assistant’s absences and manage the recruitment process if they leave.

Choosing the right care option is crucial for your peace of mind and well-being. Bay Care is here to support you every step of the way, ensuring your care needs are met with professionalism and compassion.