Realising your relative may need additional support can be daunting, especially if you don’t live nearby or have existing commitments that mean you simply cannot provide them with the care they need.
However, it doesn’t have to be this way. In this guide, we break down the process of choosing the right level of care for your relative, from spotting the early signs they need help to the different levels of care available and how to get your loved one’s needs assessed independently. This will help you make an informed choice when it comes to ensuring your relative gets the right level of care for their needs.
Signs your elderly loved one would benefit from care
One of the first steps when it comes to choosing the right level of care for your relative is noticing that they need some additional support.
Common signs to look out for include:
- Problems with mobility
- Difficulty carrying out normal day-to-day tasks
- Changes in personal care or hygiene
- Frequent accidents or falls
- Medication mismanagement
- Getting confused or forgetful
- Mood swings
- Withdrawal from usual activities
- Behavioural changes
- Weight loss
- Increased sleepiness
- Social isolation
- Changes to appetite
- Depression
Spotting these signs early can help you to address your concerns with your loved one so that together, you can start to discuss their care preferences, the different levels of care available and what might be best for them.
What are the different levels of care available?
If you’ve noticed that your loved one would benefit from care, then the next step is to understand the different levels of care available. The good news is that there are now many different options, from traditional care homes to in-home care tailored to your relative’s bespoke requirements.
Below, we explain some of the options in more detail to help you understand which option may be best for your relative:
Visiting care
Visiting care involves a carer calling to see your relative at home to provide support at a scheduled time. Depending on your loved one’s needs, visiting carers can provide a wide range of care services, such as help with dressing and bathing, medication management, light housework, meal preparation, running errands and much more. It also offers a lot of flexibility as visits can usually be arranged a few times per week to a few times per day.
Learn more about visiting care.
Companionship care
Companionship care is best suited to individuals who are still able to live independently but would benefit from having regular company. This could be because you live further away or because existing commitments mean you aren’t able to provide your loved one with the company you feel they would benefit from.
Companionship carers can help support your loved one with many ‘home help’ tasks, but their primary purpose is to be a friendly face who checks in and spends time with your loved one to help improve their well-being and offer you peace of mind.
Find out more about companionship care and the benefits it could offer your relative.
Live-in care
Live-in care is ideal for individuals who require round-the-clock support, whether because of their age, increased frailty, or deteriorating health, but who don’t want to move into residential care.
With live-in care, a dedicated live-in carer moves into your relative’s home to provide support 24/7. This gives you and your loved one complete peace of mind, as you know that someone is always on hand to provide care when it is needed, and they get to continue living in the home they love.
Learn more about how live-in care could help your relative get the care they need in the comfort of their own home.
Respite care
Respite care is ideal if your relative only needs a short-term care solution. This could be because you or their usual carer is taking a much-needed break, or it could be to help them recover from a recent illness.
Respite care services can be tailored to your loved one’s needs and can be provided at home or in some care homes.
Discover the benefits of respite care at home.
Complex care
Complex care is a specialist type of home care for those with complicated or chronic health conditions. Complex carers are experienced and have specialist training in specific health conditions or injuries, so you can rest assured that your relative gets the support they need to live life to their full no matter what their health concerns.
Find out more about complex care and the conditions our carers can provide support with.
Discharge care
If you’re looking for care for your relative as they’ve recently been in hospital and need some support while they recover from an injury or illness, discharge care could be the perfect solution.
This short-term specialist form of care enables bespoke care to be delivered in the comfort of your loved one’s home. This can include home help tasks as well as more specialist support to support their recovery.
Find out more about how the hospital discharge care provided by Trinity Homecare.
Palliative care
Learning that your relative has a terminal illness can be difficult to come to terms with, but palliative care can help your loved one make the most of the time they have left.
One-to-one palliative care can be delivered at home by compassionate and fully trained carers, or you can seek the support of a hospice to help keep your loved one comfortable in their final days.
At Trinity Homecare, we offer both long and short-term palliative home care that is fully tailored to your relatives’ changing needs. So no matter what your relative’s prognosis you can be sure they receive the compassionate, dignified and caring support they deserve.
Care home
A residential home can provide care for your relative in a safe and supportive environment. The level of care available will depend on the care home you choose, and unlike home care does not provide dedicated one-on-one care.
Nursing home
Nursing homes can provide more specialist support than a care home, enabling them to care for people with complex conditions like dementia or a chronic illness. However, like care homes, your relatives will not receive one-to-one care and they will have the upheaval of moving from the home they love.
How can I assess my relative’s care needs?
Before deciding which of the above care options offers the best level of support for your loved one, it’s important to fully assess their care needs.
The best way to do this is to organise a Care Needs Assessment through your local council’s social services department.
A Care Needs Assessment usually involves a social worker or occupational therapist visiting your relative or speaking to them over the phone to find out more about how they manage day-to-day tasks like washing, dressing and cooking. They may also assess your relative performing certain tasks like climbing the stairs, making a cup of tea or sitting in their chair to find out if home adaptations alongside support would be beneficial.
A Care Needs Assessment is designed to provide you with an independent assessment of your relative’s needs, so it is important to encourage your relative to be honest with the person assessing them about the challenges they face. This will help ensure that the recommendation from the assessment will truly reflect the care your loved one needs.
You can also arrange a free, no-obligation Care Needs Assessment with Trinity Homecare.
What help is available to pay for care?
At Trinity Homecare, we understand that for many families the cost of care will also play a factor in determining the right level of care for a relative. However, there are funding options available, including local authority funding, healthcare funding and benefits to help pay for the care your loved one needs.
Many of the funding and benefits available are means-tested, meaning that your relative’s financial eligibility to receive funding for care will be assessed.
Currently, if your relative has:
- Over £23,250 in savings they must self-fund their care
- Between £14,250 and £23,250 the local authority will fund part of their care, but they will be expected to pay the remaining fees
- Less than £14,250, the local authority will provide full social care funding
How can I ensure my relative continues to get the right level of care?
We know that one concern many families have regarding their relative’s care is what happens if their condition deteriorates and they need additional support. At Trinity Homecare, we are dedicated to working with families to ensure that their loved ones always receive appropriate care for their needs.
As well as performing regular annual Care Needs Assessments to ensure appropriate care is being provided, our carers are all highly trained to spot the signs of deterioration in the condition of the people they care for. They also have the support of regional care managers so can ensure swift action is taken to reassess a client’s needs and adjust the support being provided.
Trusted home care from Trinity
If you are researching care options for your relative, why not consider seeking the professional support of Trinity Homecare? For the past 25 years, we have provided the highest standards of care in the comfort of people’s own homes, ensuring their needs are fully taken care of so they can continue to live a rich and fulfilling life.
Trinity Homecare is a fully managed care agency with an ‘Outstanding’ CQC rating, placing Trinity amongst the top 4% of all nationwide care companies in England. With this in mind, you can rest assured that your loved one will receive the highest standard of care and specialist support.
If you have any questions about arranging home care, simply get in touch with our helpful and knowledgeable care team.
Arranging nationwide home care with Trinity is straightforward.
Simply follow these five steps:
- Call our care team
- Undergo a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your care needs and arrange a care assessment
- After the assessment, a plan of care is created
- A well-suited carer is found and placed
- Care can be adapted at any time