Homecare: how to find the care you need at home
If you're having trouble with everyday tasks around the home, homecare could really help.
If you're finding it hard to manage and think you need social care, getting a care needs assessment from your local council is the first step. The assessment looks at the care services that would help meet your needs, such as home care packages or moving into a care home.
Get in touch with the adult social services department of your local council and ask for a care needs assessment.
There’s no charge for a care needs assessment and you’re entitled to one regardless of your income, savings or level of need.
A friend or carer can ask for a care needs assessment on your behalf, with your permission. If you lack mental capacity to decide about having a care needs assessment, someone can ask for you to be assessed if they think this is in your best interests
You can ask for a care needs assessment by contacting your local council.
If you’re a carer, you're entitled to a carer’s assessment, too.
You just need your postcode to get started.
A social care professional will usually come to see you to find out how you're managing everyday tasks. You may be offered an assessment online or over the phone – if you feel this isn't right for you, ask for a face-to-face assessment. They'll consider:
The assessor may also talk to other professionals who care for you, like your GP or nurse, if you’re happy for the council to do so. This is to make sure the council has a complete understanding of your care needs.
Your local council should consider what support you need right now, and what might help in the future.
Your local council will decide how soon to carry out your care needs assessment based on your individual needs and circumstances. They may decide to prioritise some requests over others, which is why it's important to give as much detail as you can about your needs and circumstances, especially if you require urgent help.
You can ask the council to explain how soon your assessment will take place. If you feel you're waiting too long, ask them to explain their decision and make a complaint if needed.
If you have an urgent need for help, for example if there's a safeguarding issue, the council has the power to put services in place immediately, without waiting to do a care needs assessment.
The local authority must provide you with accessible information about the assessment process. Wherever possible, this should be provided before the assessment takes place.
It's also helpful to think about the kind of help you need. Be specific, for example:
Think about your cultural, social, religious and emotional needs too, for example:
Ask a friend or carer to be with you at your assessment if you can.
The local council must provide you with someone to support you if you can’t speak up for yourself or have difficulty understanding others. This only applies if you don't have a friend or carer there to help you.
Local councils have their own assessment procedures, but they follow national criteria to decide who's eligible for care and support. In making their decision, they'll look at whether you're unable to do, or have difficulty with, daily living tasks (which are called 'outcomes'), and whether this has a significant impact on your wellbeing.
The daily living outcomes include things like:
If your needs meet the criteria above, this is known as having 'eligible needs'. Your council may have a duty to met your eligible needs if, for example, you're entitled to help with care costs following the financial assessment (also known as the 'means test').
If the council decides that you don't meet eligibility criteria but you think you do, you should first try and resolve the issue informally by raising and discussing your concerns with the council.
If you're still unhappy, you can raise a formal complaint.
Find out more about making complaints about care to your local council
We offer support through our free advice line on 0800 678 1602. Lines are open 8am-7pm, 365 days a year. We also have specialist advisers at over 120 local Age UKs.
If you're having trouble with everyday tasks around the home, homecare could really help.
If you pay for care privately, the cost depends on the type of care you need and the prices charged by care providers...
You might be entitled to help with the cost of homecare from your local council.
If you’re found to have care and support needs after your care needs assessment, you’ll get a care plan. This plan...
Find out more about how paying for social care works with Age UK.
Learn about what financial support you might get from your local council.