Community care services are care services that are arranged or provided by the local authority social services department, mainly to adults who have care needs. Community care services include a place in a care home or services to help you carry on living in your home and keep as much independence as possible.
You may need community care services because of your age or because you are disabled or physically or mentally ill.
There is a wide range of community care services that you may be entitled to. The following list gives only the main examples:
€ a place in a care home
€ home care services
€ home helps
€ adaptations to the home
€ meals
€ recreational and occupational activities
Home Care Services have been the focus for majority of local authorities lately because of its obvious advantages may include the following and more:
Personal care: assistance with bathing, dressing, oral hygiene, using the bathroom, and incontinence care.
Light housekeeping: vacuuming, dusting, cleaning floors, organizing drawers and closets, and sorting mail.
Medication management: medication reminders, organizing medications, and watching for side effects.
Nutrition support: grocery shopping and preparing appetizing meals, eating assistance, and help with special diets.
Transportation: to healthcare appointments and the pharmacy, to social events and activities, or just "out and about"€"a great way to help your loved one be active and engaged.
Companionship: helping your loved one avoid isolation and depression, and providing watchful protection for seniors with memory loss.
Reassurance for family: an extra measure of peace of mind, knowing a caring presence is at hand when they can't be.
How does the process work?
It is important that individual or family seeking care for an elderly approaches the local social worker first. The social worker in conjunction with other support staff may carry out a detailed needs assessment for the potential service user and then decide the best solutions available.
The initial assessment should take into account:
€ your wishes as the person being assessed
€ whether you have any particular physical difficulties, for example, problems with walking or climbing stairs
€ whether you have any particular health or housing needs
€ what sources of help you have access to, such as carers, family or nearby friends, and their willingness to continue providing care
€ what needs these people who provide care may have.
Once an assessment has been carried out, the local authority social services department has to decide whether you are entitled to services to meet your needs. How these services are funded will depend on your personal circumstances. You could be entitled to council funding or may have to pay for them privately.
You should be given the care plan in writing. The care plan will set out:
€ the services which are to be provided, by who, when and what will be achieved by providing them
€ a contact point to deal with problems about services
€ information on how to ask for a review of the services being provided if your circumstances change.
If a professional care provider is appointed to provide home care solutions to you in your home, further detailed risk and needs assessments are carried out before starting the care provision and agreeing the care plan with you.