Advice Centre

What Care is Available?

Care at home

If you are finding it difficult to manage at home,family and friends may be able to help. Alternatively,you could consider using the services of a home care provider. Home care providers employ care assistants to provide help in your own home. They can help with personal care such as bathing, washing and dressing as well as practical support such as shopping, laundry and cooking meals. They will be trained in personal care and safety procedures, moving and handling and hygiene, and some home care providers employ registered nurses.

All home care providers now have to be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) who will inspect them against the regulations and National Minimum Standards. Bradford Adult and Community Services also accredits (see Care in Your Own Home) many home care providers to make sure they meet certain requirements set out by the Council.

You may wish to arrange your own care at home - ask your care manager about the possibility of using the Direct Payments Scheme (div with p23Directpmts.txt here). You will still need to have an assessment of your needs, but then you can decide whether you would prefer to arrange the services yourself. With so many care services to choose from, it can be difficult sometimes to decide which is the most appropriate for you. If you think you need some form of care, your first step should be to contact your local Adult and Community Services department who will carry out an assessment of your care needs and determine whether you are eligible for services or support from the local authority.

Time out

This service provides time out for carers. Where a carer is experiencing stress or difficulty in caring for a relative, we can provide a sitter to remain in the home whilst the carer takes a break. They may want to spend the time shopping, visiting friends, enjoying a hobby, sleeping or resting. This can be done knowing that there is someone on hand to provide companionship and supervision. Hours are negotiated with the family. Most people have one or two sessions per week. The cost of this service depends on your ability to pay and is worked out under the Council's charging policy. An assistant manager will visit you to assess your needs. If appropriate, you will be referred to the service and a sitter will be matched to the family. The service depends upon the availability of sitters.

For more information, write to:
5 Canon Pinnington Mews,
Cottingley, Bingley BD16 1AQ

Community meals

Bradford Adult and Community Services and partner company 'Apetito' deliver hot and frozen meals to individuals and luncheon clubs throughout the District. All meals meet the nutritional requirements of the National Association of Care Caterers' standards.

In order to receive the hot meals service a service user would need to be assessed by a social worker and meet the eligibility criteria. The hot meals are delivered Monday through to Friday between 11.30am and 1.45pm - it is not possible to specify a time within the delivery window. Service users can choose from an extensive range of individual meals from a comprehensive menu. In addition to the hot meals service, a frozen delivery service is available to customers who are able to reheat the meals themselves. Service users are able to refer themselves for the frozen service, which offers a choice from a coloured brochure of main courses, desserts or soups. The meals are delivered once a fortnight at a mutually convenient time: the frozen meals allow service users the option of determining when they wish to eat them. It is also possible to hire equipment i.e. table top freezer, microwave or steamer to regenerate the meals.

There are also nine lunch clubs supported by Bradford Adult and Community Services operating in the District which provide a hot meal and a chance to socialise with friends. Should you wish to discuss any aspect of the community meals service please contact Adult and Community Services Direct on 01274 431704 or email adultservicesdirect@bradford.gov.uk.

Respite care and short stays

Many of you may have an informal carer living with you, or perhaps living nearby, who helps you on a regular basis. Carers sometimes need a break and this may be provided in several ways: you may wish to go into a care home yourself for a week or two; or to arrange home-based respite care where another carer moves into your home; or family based respite care where you move into another family's home for a period.

The best option for you will depend on your needs, the urgency of the situation and personal choice and cost. If you are thinking about long-term care, but have had no experience of living in a care home, you may wish to book in for a short stay to see what it's like. This will help you make an informed decision. If you have nursing needs, ask for a nursing determination as a contribution to your fees (see Care homes with nursing).

Continuing care

The name given to all of the care needed by an adult who requires help to manage their daily life because of illness, disability, accident or the effects of getting older. It's broken down into two kinds:

• Continuing NHS Healthcare is provided solely by the NHS if you have extensive health care needs. This is free of charge, wherever it is delivered.
• Continuing Health and Social Care is a package of care that involves services and funding from both the NHS and Adult and Community Services.

Extra Care housing

If you require help with personal care and daily activities and your present accommodation is not meeting your needs any more, then Extra Care housing may be the answer for you.

Extra Care housing is a combination of specially designed housing schemes combined with care and support services developed to offer a new way of supporting older people with care needs to live independently in the community for as long as possible. It does this by giving people the security and privacy of a home of their own with a range of facilities and activities, and on-site 24-hour care services available to suit your own individually assessed care needs. Extra Care housing also:

• Provides more choice to older or disabled people whose care needs might more traditionally have been met by moving into a care home.
• Enables couples to remain living together if they wish to do so.

Extra Care housing schemes are normally built in partnership between Bradford Adult and Community Services and housing associations (usually referred to as 'Registered Social Landlords').

In the Bradford District, Bradford Adult and Community Services in partnership with various different housing associations currently have seven Extra Care housing schemes for older people and one scheme for younger, physically disabled adults. You can get information on the existing Extra Care housing schemes in the District by contacting Bradford Adult and Community Services on 01274 431704.

Sheltered (or retirement) care

This is provided across the District by a number of housing associations and is a practical step if you would like more security and companionship but don't need to move into a care home.

In a sheltered (or retirement) housing scheme you would live independently in a flat or bungalow built especially for older people within a larger complex, sometimes around a garden or communal facility and linked to a central control centre for security. Some schemes have access to a resident or nonresident manager who provides support, advice and a link to services for older people. After your needs have been assessed, you will still be able to receive care in the home if required. If you are interested in applying for sheltered housing and want to know where the sheltered housing schemes are contact Bradford Homehunter (Bradford's choice-based lettings scheme) on 0845166 2000 or visit www.bradfordhomehunter.co.uk.

Residential care

All care providers must be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Homes are categorised by the type of care they provide and are listed in this Directory. All homes are regularly inspected by the CQC, who report on their findings. These inspection reports are available at the home or from the CQC; see Useful Contacts for contact details. There are two types of residential homes:

• Care homes (personal care only)
  If you feel you require greater security and care, you may prefer to choose a care home offering personal care. Personal care includes bathing, feeding, dressing and help with moving but it must be paid for if your capital/savings exceed £23,000. See Paying for Your Care.
• Care homes with nursing
  If you think you may need nursing care in a home, you will need to be visited by a social worker/care manager or a registered nurse to work out what care you will need. This visit might be in your own home or in hospital if you've been ill or in a home. You will be fully involved in planning your care needs.

If a care home providing nursing care is the best solution for you, the social worker/care manager will give you information to help you find a home that meets your care needs. A specially trained nurse will assess your nursing needs to determine what level of nursing care the NHS will pay for. The cost of the nursing care part of your fees is paid by the NHS directly to the home. It is very important that you get your nursing assessment done before you go into the care home. You can contact the Nurse Care Management Teams through NHS Bradford and Airedale listed on page 29.

The national policy on charging means healthcare must be provided free of charge but you may have to make a reasonable financial contribution towards your social care. You can ask for an assessment by health and social care professionals if you think you may be eligible for either Continuing NHS Healthcare or Continuing NHS Health and Social Care. They will visit you to identify and prioritise your needs - this will be used to decide what services will be provided and where, and who funds them. If your needs change, regular reviews will be carried out and your care and/or funding arrangements will change to meet them. You can pick up a leaflet about Continuing Care from your local Adult and Community Services office, medical centre or hospital.

If you have a query about a nursing care assessment for someone who may require care in a nursing home you can contact NHS Bradford and Airedale on 0845 111 5000.