OPTIONS A guide to care and independent living
Leaving hospital
Medway Summer 2018
What’s next?
NHS continuing healthcare Who’s eligible?
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SOCIAL CARE
tips
Healthcare services Choosing the right one
CONTRIBUTORS: Age UK Medway Alzheimer’s Society Medway Community Healthcare NHS Choices
C h a n g i n g
L i v e s
Specialist in High Level Care for • Acquired Brain Injuries • Learning Disabilities • Physical Disabilities • Respite Care • Day Service Opportunities • 24hour Care / Live in Care • Domiciliary Care • Older Care • We welcome Direct Payment All staff trained to highest standards NVQ 2/3 – DBS to enhanced level
Tel: 01634 295630 http://www.everycare.co.uk/kent Victoria@everycaremedway.co.uk
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Contents Leaving hospital – care in the community............................................................................ 4 Community nursing............................................................................................................. 4-5 The community respiratory team.......................................................................................... 6 Community rehabilitation.................................................................................................. 6-7 Dementia services in Medway............................................................................................... 8 NHS continuing healthcare............................................................................................. 12-14 Taking charge of your own personal budget................................................................ 14-15 What is NHS-funded nursing care?..................................................................................... 16 Self-funding: paying for your own care and support................................................... 17-18 Care and support: what’s available................................................................................ 18-19 Driving and using public transport................................................................................ 20-21 Age UK Medway - Providing care and support services to the older population....... 22-23 Alzheimer’s Society – Come along to your local Dementia Café... Information and advice in a relaxed setting for people affected by dementia in Kent & Medway......................................................................................... 24-25 The Care Quality Commission Social Care and GP top tips........................................... 26-27 Services in Medway.............................................................................................................. 28 Useful contacts..................................................................................................................... 29
Welcome and
introduction
This guide is intended to help you, your carer and your relatives understand how your local health services can help you after discharge from hospital. Also information to help you to live independently or access support and care services in your area.
Medway
OCTAGON DE S IG N & M A R K E T ING LT D
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Leaving hospital – care in the community It’s always nice to leave hospital and get home to your comfort zone, especially if you’ve been in a ward for a long time. However, just because you’re well enough to leave the hospital, doesn’t always mean you’re completely well; but don’t worry – help is at hand! There are lots of community services which provide post-hospital discharge support. In Medway, the majority of these are run by Medway Community Healthcare, a social enterprise focussed on patient-centred care, with
values to work in partnership, to deliver care and compassion, and quality and value. Here we’ll focus on just a few: Our community nursing service, our community respiratory team, community rehabilitation and dementia services. We call these professionals our unsung heroes – the ones you might not know about, but who work tirelessly to make sure you’re fit, well and back to your old self as soon as possible. Please note - you should be referred to these services by a medical professional (the consultant in hospital, or your own GP, for example).
Community nursing
Community nurses are expert medical ‘jack of all trades’, nursing the dying, providing general nursing care including personal care, and wound care. The community nursing service is committed to embedding the 6C’s into its practise: Care: They support people with their chronic disease management to maintain stability, promote independence and reduce avoidable hospital admissions. They also provide medicines management advice and support about medication, chemotherapy disconnection, and 4
Compassion: It isn’t just about the care we give, but the way we give it. It’s about how we listen, what we say, and what we do. We listen to our patients’ feedback, whether positive or highlighting concerns. We investigate and implement lessons learned that can improve our patients’ experience. Competence: Our staff are trained and skilled practitioners, supported by education and development throughout their careers to enable them to deliver evidence-based and quality care across a range of health needs. Communication: We work closely with our GPs, other health professionals, social care and voluntary agencies to provide a joined-up approach to our care. We also have designated nurse case managers, for our more complex long term patients. Courage: We expect our staff to always act in
m Co
n Courag o i t e ca ni
Staff include community staff nurses, district nurses, community practitioners, healthcare assistants, nurse case managers, continence nurses, clinical nurse managers, administrators, a clinical lead and a head of service.
intravenous therapy. All of this care could take place at home or at a clinic. We also provide palliative care, support, management and symptom control for patients living with lifelimiting conditions.
Co n mu
There are approximately 140 clinical staff within the MCH community nursing service, providing nursing services 24 hours a day, 365 days every year. The community nursing service is well-placed to access expert knowledge from other team members and health services.
the best interests of our patients and their families. This might include voicing concerns about any aspect of our patient’s care, even if it has been managed by MCH. Commitment: Our staff are committed to supporting and providing quality care to patients within our community. They seek out and implement new ways of working to improve our patients’ experience and make sure we provide the best care. Patients’ and their families’ interests are paramount when any decisions relating to our service are made.
itment C mm are mpassion C Co o
ommunity nursing
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e Co tenc pe m
The community
respiratory team The community respiratory team (CRT) is a specialist team of nurses, physiotherapists and a dietician who provide care in the community for patients with the long term conditions chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial lung disease and bronchiectasis.
Like the community nursing service, our community respiratory team are integral to making sure those who are discharged from hospital have the right support to manage their conditions, and retain their independence.
Community rehabilitation Community rehabilitation service is based at the Walter Brice Centre in Hoo, and comprises four teams namely community physiotherapy, falls team, neuro physiotherapy and Walter Brice Rehabilitation Centre. These teams support our patients’ physical, cognitive, and emotional health to help with functional recovery and rehabilitation from accident, injury, short term illness or long term conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s disease or old stroke. The community rehabilitation service work closely with Medway Maritime Hospital, GP services, social service, voluntary organisation and with other services within MCH. Community rehabilitation reduces the need for multiple referrals by providing a ‘one stop shop’ for internal colleagues, and external health and social care agencies to request our support for a patient. Treatment plans are used to help our specialists formulate an appropriate, measurable and meaningful rehabilitation programme that aims to achieve the patient’s goals and objectives.
Community physiotherapy The community physiotherapy team provide physiotherapy services by visiting patients in their home or care homes. They see patients 6
who are house bound and also see patients for whom treatment in their home environment is more beneficial or appropriate. The team provides assessment, treatment and advice to patients and to carers dealing with a wide range of conditions affecting patient’s mobility and independent living.
Falls team The falls team assesses and treats patients with risk of falls, history of falls, fear of falling or with medical conditions that contribute to falls. The falls team comprises of occupational therapists and physiotherapists who collaborate to enable patients to carry out and complete activities which are part of their daily living, as independently and safely as possible whilst reducing the risk of falls. The falls team can see patients in their home environment as well as in the clinic setting. The falls team provides 1 to 1 treatment as well as group exercise sessions.
Neuro physiotherapy Neuro physiotherapy is a specialist service that supports all the teams within community rehabilitation and across MCH, for patients with neurological conditions like MS, Parkinson’s, spinal injuries, old stroke as well as provide specialist treatment for patients with vertigo,
dizziness and balance issues due to vestibular (inner ear) problems.
Walter Brice Rehabilitation Centre The Walter Brice Rehabilitation Centre provides day rehabilitation services to adults with long term conditions, through physical, emotional, cognitive and social rehab. Following assessment and goal setting, patients are given the opportunity to have rehab by either attending morning sessions or afternoon sessions at the centre. The centre offers patients the opportunity to gain confidence and functional independence through group and 1:1 treatments and a wide range of activities put together by occupational therapists and physiotherapists. The centre also provides rehab to patients who have undergone amputation surgery.
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Dementia services
in Medway
It is estimated that in Medway in 2015 there were 2,898 people living with dementia and 2,727 of those were people over 65 years old. It is estimated that there will be a considerable increase in this number in Medway in future years, largely driven by the growth in the overall older population.
here with respect, dignity and warmth, and that, wherever possible, we support residents’ independence and individual choice. This approach to care is extended to the relatives and carers of our residents. We provide a seven day a week activities schedule designed with all of our residents in mind.
Dementia is a word used to describe a group of symptoms including memory loss, confusion, mood changes and difficulty with day-to-day tasks. These changes may often be small to start with, but for someone with dementia they become severe enough to affect daily life. A person with dementia may also experience changes in their mood or behaviour.
Referral to the service is via the NHS continuing care service.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia but not all dementia is due to Alzheimer’s. The specific symptoms that someone with dementia experiences will depend on the parts of the brain that are damaged and the disease that is causing the dementia. Dementia services within Medway Community Healthcare (MCH) include Darland House, a specialist nursing home for people with dementia and mental health conditions; and the Dementia support team, a specialist crisis community team set up to support people with dementia and their carers in their homes.
Darland House Darland House is a modern specialist nursing home that provides residential care for older people with mental health problems, including Alzheimers and other forms of dementia. It provides this service for the population of the Medway area who require continuing long-term care. Darland House has 40 permanent beds. MCH provides 24-hour person centred care at Darland, within a comfortable and caring environment adhering to the ethos of the national service framework for older people, the protection of vulnerable adults scheme, public health guidance and the continuing care criteria. Our philosophy of care is to treat all that live 8
Dementia crisis support service MCH’s dementia support team supports people with dementia and their carers who live at home during times of crisis. They enable people to remain in their own homes, ensure that patients and families have the appropriate support and reduce unnecessary admissions into hospital. The service can provide: • short term support and home treatment for challenging behaviour and physical problems (i.e.: infection, or after a fall where emergency services are not required) • assessments of patient’s current physical and mental health needs • an Admiral Nurse service especially to support carers, enhance their skills and resilience • support for early discharge of patients from hospital or other inpatient care, through managing the patient at home and supporting the carer • signposting to other services when necessary • providing training and support in the management of dementia to community nursing teams and care homes within Medway Referral into dementia support – anyone can refer into the team, health and social care professionals, people living with dementia and their carers or families, and can be made for a number of reasons. These might include carer stress or breakdown; physical problems affecting the dementia that can be managed at home; challenging behaviour; and to prevent unnecessary admissions to hospital or to enable earlier discharges from hospital.
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KEEPING YOU INDEPENDENT FOR LONGER
Registered home for the elderly and individuals living with Dementia and Parkinson’s Disease • Registered 59 • A comfortable environment with 24hr care from highly skilled & motivated staff • Inspections welcomed • Home cooked meals - all diets catered for • Regular entertainment and activities throughout the week
26-32 Key Street, Sittingbourne ME10 1YU
Notes
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Copperfields RESIDENTIAL CARE FOR OLDER PEOPLE
Nursing Home 24 hour dedicated nursing care
Long stay Short stay Older people Qualified nurses on duty 24 hours
General & dementia nursing Kind and caring staff
Tel: 01634 850411
43 - 45 Park Avenue, Gillingham, Kent ME7 4AQ
SINGLE & DOUBLE ROOMS EN-SUITE FACILITIES PASSENGER LIFT CALL SYSTEM IN ALL ROOMS CENTRAL HEATING SUPERB HOME COOKING 24 HOUR CARE BY TRAINED STAFF LONG STAY ONLY MINIBUS FOR OUTINGS
(01474) 824122 42 VILLA ROAD, HIGHAM ROCHESTER, KENT ME3 7BX janet@larchwoodcourt.co.uk
Staff are DBS checked Staff are trained to be qualified Out of hours telephone service
DOMICILIARY CARE / PERSONAL CARE Assisting with washing/bathing/ dressing/preparation of foods & assistance with eating. Assistance with continence/toileting/catheter care & stoma care. We also provide domestic assistance assisting with ironing, washing, vacuuming, polishing, general cleaning PALLIATIVE CARE / END OF LIFE CARE At a time that is hard you can turn to staff to offer support and assistance in making life a little easier at such a hard time. Whether it be making comfortable/personal care. Respite or a chat and friendly face ENABLEMENT / MOBILITY SUPPORT Staff assist in regaining mobility and independence & confidence
Support MEDICATION SUPPORT Sometimes we may forget to take our medication, staff are there to support you, prompt you and will help with gentle encouragement DEMENTIA SUPPORT / LEARNING DIFFICULTIES RESPITE / COMPANIONSHIP When a loved one has dementia we worry if they are well and safe, if they have eaten or remembered certain daily tasks. Staff are trained in assisting individuals with dementia and learning difficulties, promoting
healthy safe living and providing support tailored to each individual’s needs. Sometimes it’s nice to have a bit of company too. We are a small community homecare provider with individual’s needs and requirements at heart as well as providing high quality care which promotes independence, dignity, choice, inclusion and human rights. We want to help.
01634 719662
www.beescareagency.co.uk Email: enquiries@beescareagency.co.uk
Inspected and rated Good
We are here to assist individuals In the comfort of their own homes Promoting independence & Dignity BEE’S CARE AGENCY Suite 9 Christchurch House Sir Thomas Longley Road Medway City Estate Rochester Kent ME2 4FX
01634 719662 Opening Times 7am-10pm
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NHS continuing healthcare Some people with long-term complex health needs qualify for free social care arranged and funded solely by the NHS. This is known as NHS continuing healthcare.
Where can NHS continuing healthcare be provided? NHS continuing healthcare can be provided in a variety of settings outside hospital, such as in your home or in a registered care home.
Am I eligible for NHS continuing healthcare? NHS continuing healthcare is for adults. Children and young people may receive a “continuing care package” if they have needs arising from disability, accident or illness that can’t be met by existing universal or specialist services alone. To be eligible for NHS continuing healthcare, you must be assessed by a team of healthcare professionals (a “multidisciplinary team”). The team will look at all your care needs and relate them to: • what help you need • how complex your needs are • how intense or severe your needs can be • how unpredictable they are, including any risks to your health if the right care isn’t provided at the right time Your eligibility for NHS continuing healthcare depends on your assessed needs, and not on any particular diagnosis or condition. If your needs change then your eligibility for NHS continuing healthcare may change. You should be fully involved in the assessment process and kept informed, and have your views about your needs and support taken into account. Carers and family members should also be consulted where appropriate. A decision about eligibility should usually be made within 28 days of it being decided that the person needs a full assessment for NHS continuing healthcare. If you aren’t eligible for NHS continuing healthcare, you can be referred to your local authority who can discuss with you whether you may be eligible for support from them. If you still have some health needs then the NHS may pay for part of the package of support. This is sometimes known as a “joint package” of care.
NHS continuing healthcare assessments Clinical commissioning groups, known as CCGs (the NHS organisations that commission local health services), must assess you for NHS continuing healthcare if it seems that you may need it. For most people, there’s an initial checklist assessment, 12
which is used to decide if you need a full assessment. However, if you need care urgently – for example, if you’re terminally ill – your assessment may be fast-tracked.
Initial assessment for NHS continuing healthcare The initial checklist assessment can be completed by a nurse, doctor, other healthcare professional or social worker. You should be told that you’re being assessed, and be asked for your consent. Depending on the outcome of the checklist, you’ll either be told that you don’t meet the criteria for a full assessment of NHS continuing healthcare and are therefore not eligible, or you’ll be referred for a full assessment of eligibility. Being referred for a full assessment doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be eligible for NHS continuing healthcare. The purpose of the checklist is to enable anyone who might be eligible to have the opportunity for a full assessment. The professional(s) completing the checklist should record in writing the reasons for their decision, and sign and date it. You should be given a copy of the completed checklist. You can download a blank copy of the NHS continuing healthcare checklist from GOV.UK.
Full assessment for NHS continuing healthcare Full assessments for NHS continuing healthcare are undertaken by a “multidisciplinary team” made up of a minimum of two health or care professionals who are already involved in your care. You should be informed who is co-ordinating the NHS continuing healthcare assessment.
The team’s assessment will consider your needs under the following headings: • behaviour • cognition (understanding) • communication • psychological/emotional needs • mobility • nutrition (food and drink) • continence • skin (including wounds and ulcers) • breathing • symptom control through drug therapies and medication • altered states of consciousness • other significant needs These needs are given a weighting marked “priority”, “severe”, “high”, “moderate”, “low” or “no needs”. If you have at least one priority need, or severe needs in at least two areas, you should be eligible for NHS continuing healthcare. You may also be eligible if you have a severe need in one area plus a number of other needs, or a number of high or moderate needs, depending on their nature, intensity, complexity or unpredictability. In all cases, the overall need, and interactions between needs, will be taken into account, together with evidence from risk assessments, in deciding whether NHS continuing healthcare should be provided. The assessment should take into account your views and the views of any carers you have. You should be given a copy of the decision documents, along with clear reasons for the decision. You can download a blank copy of the NHS continuing healthcare decision support tool.
Fast-track assessment for NHS continuing healthcare If your health is deteriorating quickly and you’re nearing the end of your life, you should be considered for the NHS continuing healthcare fast track pathway, so that an appropriate care and support package can be put in place as soon as possible – usually within 48 hours. An organisation called Beacon gives free independent advice on NHS continuing healthcare. Visit the Beacon website or call the free helpline on 0345 548 0300.
Care and support planning If you’re eligible for NHS continuing healthcare, the next stage is to arrange a care and support package that meets your assessed needs. Depending on your situation, different options could be suitable, including support in your own home and the option of a personal health budget. If it’s agreed that a care home is the best option for you, there could be more than one local care home that’s suitable. Your CCG should work collaboratively with you and consider your views when agreeing your care and support package and the setting where it will be provided. However, they can also take other factors into account, such as the cost and value for money of different options.
NHS continuing healthcare reviews If you’re eligible for NHS continuing healthcare, your needs and support package will normally be reviewed within three months and thereafter at least annually. This review will consider whether your existing care and support package meets your assessed needs. If your needs have changed, the review will also consider whether you’re still eligible for NHS continuing healthcare.
Refunds for delays in NHS continuing healthcare funding CCGs will normally make a decision about eligibility for NHS continuing healthcare within 28 days of getting a completed checklist or request for a full assessment, unless there are circumstances beyond its control. If the CCG decides you’re eligible, but takes longer than 28 days to decide this and the delay is unjustifiable, they should refund any care costs from the 29th day until the date of their decision. If your CCG decided that you weren’t eligible for NHS continuing healthcare, but then revised this decision after a dispute, it should refund your care costs for the period between their original decision and their revised decision.
If you’re not eligible for NHS continuing healthcare If you’re not eligible for NHS continuing healthcare, but you’re assessed as requiring nursing care in a care home (in other words, a care home that’s registered to provide nursing care) you’ll be eligible for NHS-funded nursing care. This means that the NHS will pay a contribution >> 13
towards the cost of your registered nursing care. NHS-funded nursing care is available irrespective of who is funding the rest of the care home fees. Read more information from NHS England about NHS continuing healthcare.
Frequently asked questions about NHS continuing healthcare I have a local authority support package that works well. I’m now eligible for NHS continuing healthcare – will my support package change? If you’re concerned about changes to your care package because of a move to NHS continuing healthcare, your CCG should talk to you about ways that it can give you as much choice and control as possible. This could include the use of a personal health budget, with one option being a “direct payment for healthcare”. Can I refuse an assessment for NHS continuing healthcare? If I refuse, will I be able to get services from my local authority? An assessment for NHS continuing healthcare can’t be carried out without your consent, so it’s possible to refuse. However, if you refuse, although you’ll still be entitled to an assessment by the local authority there’s no guarantee that you’ll be provided with services. There’s a legal limit on the type of services that a local authority can provide. If you refuse to be assessed for NHS continuing healthcare, the CCG should explore your reasons for refusing, and try to address your concerns. If someone lacks the mental capacity to consent to or refuse an assessment, the principles of the Mental Capacity Act will apply and in most circumstances an assessment will be provided in the person’s best interest. My relative is in a care home and has become eligible for NHS continuing healthcare. The CCG says the fees charged by this care home are more than they would usually pay, and has proposed a move to a different care home. I think a move will have a negative effect on my relative. What can we do? If there’s evidence that a move is likely to have a detrimental effect on your relative’s health or wellbeing, discuss this with the CCG. It will take your concerns into account when considering the most appropriate arrangements. If the CCG decides to arrange an alternative placement, they should provide a reasonable choice of homes. Is it possible to pay top-up fees for NHS continuing healthcare? No, it isn’t possible to top up NHS continuing healthcare packages, like you can with local authority care packages. The only way that NHS continuing healthcare packages can be topped up privately is if you pay for additional private services on top of the services you get from the NHS. These private services should be provided by different staff and preferably in a different setting.
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Taking charge If your local authority agrees to pay for some or all of your home care needs, it must offer you choice and control over how your needs are met. You’ll be given a personal budget, and can choose to receive it as a direct payment.
Personal budgets A personal budget is the amount of money the local authority allocates for your care, based on its assessment of your needs. You can be put in charge of this budget either by telling the local authority how you would like it spent, or by the council giving you the money so you can directly pay for your own care (a direct payment). It can also be given to a separate organisation (such as a user-controlled trust) that will spend the money on your care as you see fit, if you prefer. You can choose a combination of the above (for example, a direct payment with some council-arranged care and support), often called a mixed package. Find out how personal budgets work.
Direct payments Direct payments give you the most control over your care. If you’re unhappy with the services you’re getting, you can decide to change who gives you the care services without having to go through the local authority. But you have to be able to account for how you spend the budget. And you have responsibilities as an employer if you hire a personal assistant with your direct payment. The Money Advice Service has a guide to using direct payments.
The pros and cons of taking charge of your personal budget Being in control of your own personal budget means you have to spend some time and effort thinking about your care and support needs and the outcomes you want. There may be extra responsibilities. For example, if you decide to request a direct payment to cover the cost of homecare, you could use the payment to hire an individual, giving you the responsibilities of an employer. Alternatively, you could hire care workers
e of your own personal budget through an agency. This removes the legal obligations of being an employer, but may cost more and may remove some of the benefits of having the same person provide your care. Read more about how to choose care services.
Creating your care plan You and your social worker or care manager need to work together to create a care plan. This plan details your care and support needs, and can be used to work out the value of your personal budget. Your care plan should include: • what’s important to you, including your interests, lifestyle, personal tastes and the people in your life • your hopes for the future, such as whether you’d like to study or take on more hobbies outside the home • what limitations you currently have and how you want to change • what you want to achieve by managing your own support Make sure you include information about how you’ll manage your money and what you’ll spend the money on (including personal assistants, transport, housing adaptations, therapists and respite services). Clarify how you’ll receive your money. If you choose to receive your personal budget as a direct payment, the local authority may pay the money straight into a bank account that you control (you must set up a new bank account to do this) or they may give you a pre-paid card. Alternatively, you may prefer your personal budget to be managed by the local authority or by someone else, such as: • a friend or family member (the local authority must agree to this) • a broker, independent social worker or an advocate • your care manager or social worker Discuss these options with your social worker or carer to work out which option is best for you. If someone else will be looking after your money, you may need to create a decision-making agreement. This should state how they’ll look after your money and what decisions they can and can’t make on your behalf. The local authority may want to check what you do with your money to make sure you’re spending your budget appropriately, and your care and support needs are being met. You may need to keep receipts
(especially for large purchases) so you can show them you have spent your money responsibly. If you choose a direct payment, the council will give you a direct payment agreement that sets out the terms and conditions. If you’re struggling to manage your money, the local authority can advise you on how to make your money work best for you.
Check your care plan is working Meet with your local authority at least once a year to discuss whether your care plan is working. This is an opportunity to discuss whether your needs are being met in the best way, and it’s also your chance to talk about changes you want to make for the future. You don’t have to wait for a review meeting to change the way you spend your budget. You can change things as you go along. If you want to make a big change, consult your care manager or social worker, who may arrange a review. You can ask for a review meeting about your care plan at any time. To prepare for a review, provide any receipts you have kept since you were awarded a personal budget. If someone is managing your funds for you, get them to join the review meeting.
Disagreements about care plans and personal budgets If you have been told that you’re not eligible for services or you don’t agree with the amount allocated to you in your personal budget, you can ask for a reassessment. Speak to your social worker or care manager about being reassessed, or phone your local authority social services department and request a complaints form. Content supplied by:
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What is NHS-funded nursing care?
NHS-funded nursing care is care provided by a registered nurse for people who live in a care home. The NHS will pay a flat rate contribution directly to the care home towards the cost of this registered nursing care.
Who is eligible for NHS-funded nursing care? You may be eligible for NHS-funded nursing care if: • you are not eligible for NHS continuing healthcare but have been assessed as needing care from a registered nurse • you live in a care home registered to provide nursing care
How will my needs be assessed? You should be assessed for NHS continuing healthcare before a decision is made about whether you are eligible for NHS-funded nursing care. Most people don’t need a separate assessment for NHS-funded nursing care. However, if you do need an assessment or you haven’t already had one, your clinical commissioning group (CCG) can arrange an assessment for you.
Outcome of the assessment If you’re eligible for NHS-funded nursing care, the NHS will arrange and fund nursing care provided by registered nurses employed by the care home. Services provided by 16
a registered nurse can include planning, supervising and monitoring nursing and healthcare tasks, as well as direct nursing care. If you’re not eligible for NHS-funded nursing care and you don’t agree with the decision about your eligibility, you can ask your CCG to review the decision.
What is the rate of payment for NHS-funded nursing care? NHS-funded nursing care is paid at the same rate across England. In April 2018, the rate was set at £158.16 a week (standard rate). Before October 1 2007, there were three different levels or bands of payment for NHS-funded nursing care – low, medium and high. If you moved into a care home before October 1 2007, and you were on the low or medium bands, you would have been transferred to the standard rate from that date. If you moved into a care home before October 1 2007, and you were on the high band, NHSfunded nursing care is paid at a higher rate. In April 2018, the higher rate was set at £217.59 a week. You’re entitled to continue on this rate unless: • you no longer have nursing needs • you no longer live in a care home that provides nursing • your nursing needs have reduced and you’re no longer eligible for the high band, when you would change to the standard rate of £158.16 a week, or • you become entitled to NHS continuing healthcare instead.
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Self-funding: paying for your own
care and support
If you have more than £23,250 in savings (not including the value of your home or your pension), you may have to pay the full cost of your care. This is known as being a self-funder. The number of people paying for their own care is growing. While some people are eligible for funding from their council, many end up paying for all of their care.
Arranging your care as a self funder If you’re paying for your own care, you do not need to have a needs assessment first - you can go directly to a homecare agency or care home and organise it yourself without involving social services. But, it’s a good idea to have a needs assessment before arranging your care. This is because you will then have a clear idea of what your care needs are. You will know, for example, whether you need a professional carer to come in for 2 hours a day or 2 hours a week - and what specifically they should help you with. Ask for a copy of your needs assessment, so you have a record of your assessed needs. Request a needs assessment from your local council’s social services department. Once you know what your care needs are you can either: • organise your care package yourself or • a sk social services to commission and arrange it on your behalf (this option depends on where you live, some councils do not offer this service)
How much will care cost? Care is expensive and the bills can mount up. Knowing how much you’ll pay and how costs might change will make things less stressful. Homecare Homecare is where a professional carer comes to your home, for example for a couple of hours a day, to help you with tasks like getting washed and dressed, and household chores like preparing meals, cleaning and gardening.
These prices will vary according to where you live and the type of care you need. For example, serious medical conditions like dementia can increase the cost.
Will I have to sell my home? • no, you won’t have to sell your home to pay for help in your own home • yes, you may have to sell your home if you need to move permanently into a care home. Social services works out how much you’re expected to pay towards your care and support through a financial assessment - or means test. Your property will not be included in the means test if you’re arranging for help in your home. Your property will usually be included in the means test if you need to move permanently into a care home. Sometimes it won’t be included, for example if it’s still the main home of your partner.
Alternatives to selling your home The main ways to avoid selling your home to pay care home fees are: • releasing money from your home • renting out your home • deferred payments Releasing money from your home Equity release allows you to release money from your home without selling it. Make sure you get independent financial advice before considering this. The Money Advice Service has more information on equity release. Renting out your home If you need to fund your care in a care home but don’t want to sell your home, you could consider renting it out and using the income to help pay your care home fees.
Live-in homecare costs from around £650 a week. It can cost as much as £1,600 a week if you have complex needs.
Deferred payments Where there is a delay in selling your property, or if you don’t want to sell it immediately, you may be eligible to have your care fee payment postponed. This is known as deferred payments. It’s where the council temporarily covers the cost of your care and you repay them later.
Care homes There are 2 types of care home. A residential home offers only personal care. A nursing home offers nursing care as well as personal care. • a room in a residential home costs around £600 a week • a room in a nursing home costs around £840 a week
If the local council agrees to the deferred payment and pays your care home fees, it will take payment from the money raised once the property is sold. This can be: • during your lifetime if you choose to sell your home • once you die, in which case the local council >> can be repaid from your estate
The recommended hourly rate is around £17.00, but this will vary according to where you live.
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A deferred payment scheme is only available if you don’t have enough money to cover your care home fees, and you have less than £23,250 in savings. In these circumstances, the savings don’t include the value of your property, but do include money in bank accounts.
What you may be able to get for free Even if you are a self-funder, you may be eligible for some free care and support regardless of your income, including: • NHS care such as NHS continuing healthcare, NHS-funded nursing care and care after you’ve been discharged from hospital • benefits such as Attendance Allowance. Make sure you’re claiming all the benefits you’re entitled to with this online benefits calculator: https://independentage.entitledto.co.uk/ home/start • equipment or home adaptations that cost less than £1,000
If your savings run out If your savings fall below £23,250, you might be eligible for council help. Contact your local council about 3 months before you think your savings will reach this level and ask for a reassessment of your finances and care needs. Councils will only provide funding from the date you contact them for help. So if your capital has already dropped below £23,250 before you contact them, you won’t be reimbursed.
Get advice on paying for care The system of paying for care is complex and every case is different. You can get independent advice about paying for care from: • The Money Advice Service. Call their helpline on 0300 500 5000. • The Society of Later Life Advisers • Age UK • Which? Elderly Care • Independent Age
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Care and support: w If you need help around the home, a good option is to have a care worker come into your home to help you.
Home care costs around £18 an hour. Depending on your circumstances, this may be funded by your local council or you may have to pay yourself.
Types of care and support Care and support comes in many forms and there are many names used to describe it, including home help, care attendants, and “carers” (not to be confused with unpaid family or friends who care for you). Care and support can suit you if you need: • personal care, such as washing or dressing • housekeeping or domestic work, such as vacuuming • help with cooking or preparing meals • nursing and healthcare • companionship Care and support can be very flexible. The same person or agency may be able to provide some or all of these options for the duration of your care: • long-term 24-hour care • short breaks for an unpaid family carer • emergency care • day care • sessions ranging from 15-minute visits to 24-hour assistance and everything in between If you already know what you want, you can search NHS Choices directories for: • local care and support services and agencies • a list of national care and support organisations • supported living services – these are services that can help you stay safe and well in your home on a long-term basis, including financial help, help with medicines, advocacy, social support and practical support • a place to live with a family who will care for you – this is known as shared lives services or adult placement services
Funding home care If you believe you might benefit from some help at home, the first thing to do is to contact your local authority’s social services department to ask for a care needs assessment. If you’re eligible for care and support services funded by your local council, your local council may provide or arrange the help themselves. Alternatively, you can arrange your own care, funded by the council, through direct payments or a personal budget. If you choose direct payments or a personal budget, or you aren’t eligible for council funding and want to get care privately, you can arrange it in several different ways:
what’s available • using a care and support agency • hiring a personal assistant • getting care and support from a charity, such as Age UK
Independent care and support agencies If you use an independent care and support agency, you or the person looking after you has to find the care agency and pay them. The agency will provide a service through a trained team of care workers, which means you may not always have the same person visiting your home, although the agency will do its best to take your choices into account. Care and support providers are regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). They must meet the CQC’s national minimum standards and regulations in areas such as training and record keeping.
ask questions about the fee and what it covers. These include: • Does the agency check references? • What training and supervision do they provide? • What’s their complaints policy? • Who’s responsible for insurance? • Is there any out-of-hours or emergency contact if needed? •W ill they be able to provide staff if your own care worker is ill or away? If an agency is contracted to provide care every day, it must do that.
Hiring a personal assistant Instead of using an agency, you can hire a personal assistant to act as a care and support worker for you. Personal assistants can offer you all that you’ll get from an agency worker, but you’ll also get continuity, familiarity and an ongoing relationship with an assistant.
The CQC has the power to inspect agencies and enforce standards. Care and support agencies must vet care and support workers before engaging them by taking up references and carrying out Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks on potential employees.
But if you employ a personal assistant, you have the legal responsibility of an employer. This includes arranging cover for their illness and holidays.
Care and support agencies can also: • t ake over the burden of being an employer – for example, payroll, training, disciplinary issues and insurance • t rain their care and support workers through national qualifications and service-specific training • r eplace workers when they’re ill, on holiday or resign • put things right when they go wrong
Get more information on becoming an employer.
An agency will want to see you and the person looking after you so they can assess your needs.
Marie Curie Nurses can provide practical and emotional support for people near the end of their lives in their own homes.
This also means you can make a joint decision about the right type of care and support. Find out more from the UK Homecare Association.
How much does a care and support agency cost? Using a care and support agency can be expensive. The agency will charge a fee on top of the payment made to the care worker to cover their running costs and profits. You normally have to make a regular payment to the agency, which includes both the worker’s earnings and the agency’s fee.
Questions to ask when using a care and support agency Before deciding to go ahead with an agency, you should
Which? Elderly Care has advice on employing private individuals.
Care and support from charities Charities such as Age UK and Carers Trust can provide home help. Carers Trust also supports carers by giving them a break from their caring responsibilities through care and support services.
Complaining about care and support You have the right to make a complaint about any aspect of care and support. It’s a good idea to ask a care and support agency or charity about their complaints policy before you start to use their carers. Read more about how to make a complaint about the care and support you or someone else is receiving. If you are finding it difficult to make a complaint, find out how an advocate can help you.
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Driving and using
public transport Although mobility problems make it harder to get around, transport has been getting more accessible for disabled and elderly people over the years. You can get help: • using public transport • getting discounts on public transport • from the NHS with travel costs • finding community transport schemes If you have mobility problems and you need a car to get around, you may be able to get help with costs through: • discounted or free road tax • a Blue Badge parking permit • help with the cost of leasing a vehicle through the Motability scheme
Using public transport with a disability All public transport vehicles have to be “accessible” so disabled passengers can use them. Public transport also has to accept guide dogs or assistance dogs.
Some authorities offer free travel for longer, and some allow a companion to travel with the pass holder for free. You may have to apply through your local authority, but in most areas you can apply online for an older person’s bus pass or for a disabled person’s bus pass. If you often travel by train, it’s probably worth getting a Disabled Railcard Card. This gives you a third off the price of rail tickets. Check the criteria to see if you’re eligible. Children aged 5 to 16 with disabilities are eligible for a Disabled Person’s Railcard. This lets an adult to travel with them for a third of the cost of an adult fare, while the child pays the normal child fare. Taxi and private hire companies can provide wheelchair-accessible vehicles if you ask for one when you book a vehicle. Some councils also give free taxi vouchers to people who find it difficult to use public transport because they’re frail or disabled. NHS help with travel and transport costs
But if you’re using public transport, it’s worth contacting the transport operator before you travel to make sure they’re able to offer the assistance you require.
If you pay to travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for NHS-funded treatment or diagnostic tests, you may be able to claim a refund of reasonable travel costs.
Buses and trains usually have priority seating for older people and people with disabilities. They also usually have space and wide doors for wheelchairs. Some buses, trains and trams are fitted with automatic ramps.
Find out more about the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme and who’s eligible.
The London Underground is being upgraded to improve step-free access. Staff at Underground stations are also trained to help people move around the underground system – for example, by helping you avoid escalators and calling ahead to arrange for assistance at your destination.
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and 11pm Monday to Friday, and at any time during the weekend and on bank holidays.
Community transport schemes These schemes provide transport to and from hospitals, doctors’ and dentists’ surgeries, and opticians and chiropodists. Many areas offer a free “Dial-a-Ride” service, offering door-to-door transport for people unable to use normal buses.
Discounts on public transport for older people and disabled people
Some schemes require you to register and may charge a fee. Carers may be able to travel with you for an additional charge.
Older people and people with disabilities can travel free on local buses anywhere in England between 9.30am
Check with your local council whether your area has a community transport scheme.
The British Red Cross runs a similar transport service in some areas. Contact your local Red Cross branch for information.
of Kensington and Chelsea, Camden, Westminster and City of London don’t fully operate the Blue Badge scheme.
Cars and parking
But if you’re exempt from road tax or have a Blue Badge permit, you may be able to get an exemption from paying the central London congestion charge.
Road tax reductions If you’re disabled or have a serious long-term condition, you might be eligible for a reduction in your road tax, or even be exempt from it altogether. Find out more on GOV.UK about vehicle tax exemption and vehicle tax reduction. Blue Badge disabled parking scheme If you have severe mobility problems that make using public transport difficult, you may be able to get a Blue Badge parking permit for your car.
Motability scheme The Motability scheme allows disabled people to use their mobility benefits to lease a car, powered wheelchair or scooter. You can also pay an extra amount of money if you want a more expensive vehicle. The Motability Scheme is open to anyone who gets:
This lets you park closer to places you wish to visit, such as in marked disabled parking bays.
• the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
You may also be able to:
• the War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement (WPMS)
• park for free within certain time limits in some places • park on single and double yellow lines • stay longer in on-street time-limited parking bays Blue Badge schemes are run by councils. Most councils will let you apply for a Blue Badge online. Central London is exempt from the national Blue Badge regulations and the central London boroughs
• the enhanced rate mobility component of Armed Forces Independence Payment. Editorial content for pages 12-21 supplied by: NHS Choices have not vetted the advertisers in this publication and accepts no liability for work done or goods supplied by any advertiser. Nor does NHS Choices endorse any of the products or services. All information and figures correct at the time of going to print.
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Medway Age UK Medway have been providing care and support services to the older population of Medway for over forty years. We provide a wide range of services right across the Medway Towns. For information on any of these you can give our friendly team a call at our head office, based in The Historic Dockyard.
Day Services We operate two clubs providing social interaction for people over 50, based in Gillingham and Strood. For a one off charge you can expect a full day including: • Refreshments and lunch • Transport to and from the centre • Events and activities • Accessible gardens • Freshly cooked two course lunch Other services available within the centres include foot care, hairdressing, hearing aid clinics and accessible bathing. There are also a wide variety of day and afternoon trips on offer, as well as performances from visiting entertainers.
Dementia Services Dementia day centres We operate two specialist dementia day care centres in Chatham and Gillingham, where our ethos is to understand the person living with dementia and allow to them to be themselves in a safe and stimulating environment. A day at the centres includes: • Transport to and from the centre • Events and activities specifically designed for people with dementia • Freshly cooked two course lunch
COGS COGS clubs offer a day of activity for people with mild dementia, based on cognitive stimulation therapy. The groups provide the opportunity to recall and/or develop new skills, and to facilitate the transfer of these skills into the home environment. We run COGS clubs in a variety of locations around Medway across the week
Dementia flexible outreach The service offers flexible activity based support for people with dementia in their own homes. It is 22
designed to enable individuals who are living with dementia to be supported in continuing to pursue their interests, maintain their independence and retain or develop social contacts.
Home care services We provide a full range of care and support services in the community. The latest CQC inspection rated the service as good. We can offer a full range of care, including: • All personal care needs • Breakfast calls • Lunch and tea calls • Assisting to bed. We can also provide domestic support, including help with cleaning and shopping.
Community bathing service The service provides the level of assistance required to enable people to safely bathe or shower in their own home.
Foot care We provide a foot care service for older people, both in the community and at our centres in Gillingham and Strood. The service includes: • Cutting and filing toe nails • Smoothing and moisturising dry skin • Checking for cracks and breaks in the skin • Looking for signs of infection
Information and Advice The I& A service can provide advice on a wide range of issues for people over 50, their families and carers We can help you with: • Welfare benefits/form filling • Pensions • Housing issues • Gas and electricity bills • Care at home • Residential care If we can’t help you directly we will be able to put you in touch with people who can.
Membership scheme If you become a member of Age UK Medway you will unlock a variety of benefits and offers. You will receive an extensive membership pack containing
information and news. Membership benefits include: • Twice yearly magazine • Access to organised day trips • Invitations to social and fundraising events • Discounts on services
Handy Van The service provides customers with a vetted hand person to carry out small maintenance jobs in and around your home. The Handy van service can carry out jobs such as; • Fixing handrails • Home security • Path Clearance • Small decorating jobs • Minor repairs • Garden clearance jobs Disclaimer: We are unable to undertake certificated work such as gas heating or electrical wiring.
Shop Our shop is run by a helpful staff and volunteer team and sells good quality items at low prices. All donations are gratefully received, and we are able to collect your donations. The shop is a vital source of income to work of Age UK Medway.
We have a variety of opportunities available, including: • Day Centre helper • Minibus driver/escort • Shop assistant • Information and Advice Worker • Befriender.
Call in time Call in time is a free telephone friendship service providing regular contact with one of our volunteers, enabling you to develop a true, trusted friendship.
Age UK Medway The Admirals Offices, Main Gate Road, Historic Dockyard, Chatham ME4 4TZ Tel 01634 572616 www.ageuk.org.uk/medway https://www.facebook.com/AgeUKMedway https://twitter.com/ageukmedway https://www.instagram.com/ ageukmedway/
Volunteering Volunteers are vital to our work – we couldn’t run all our services without their help and kindness, and we always need more volunteers. People volunteer for various reasons, but most do so because it gives them a sense of achievement that they have brightened up someone else’s day. 23
Come along to your local Dementia Café Information and advice in a relaxed setting for people affected by dementia in Kent & Medway Get support in an informal setting A cup of tea with someone who understands. Ideas about local support. A chat with a health professional who has the time to answer your questions. These things can make a massive difference when you or someone you know has dementia. Your local Dementia Café provides a safe and supportive place for you to: ■
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iscuss your own dementia diagnosis, or someone else’s, and think about d what it means for the future et answers from health professionals and meet and learn from other people in g similar situations keep active, make new friends and feel more confident.
Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading dementia charity. We provide information and support, improve care, fund research, and create lasting change for people affected by dementia.
‘‘The people are so friendly and helpful. It stopped me bottling everything up and going into a downwards spiral,”
Judith, who has dementia
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Taking on dementia together
Find out more
Get in touch today to find out more about how your local Dementia CafĂŠ can support you: 01622 747181 kentandmedway@ alzheimers.org.uk
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The Care Quality Commission is here to make sure health and adult social care services including hospitals, home and residential care as well as GPs in England provide people with safe, effective, high-quality care. We publish independent inspection reports and ratings about services – information you can use when you’re choosing care for yourself, or a loved one. You can use our website to search for services you might be interested in by geographical area, or by specialism. For example, a care home that might offer specialist care for someone who has dementia. We also welcome your feedback on the care you have received – good or bad. We use this information to help inform our inspections and can alert authorities including local social services, if there are safeguarding concerns about care being provided. You can visit our website at www.cqc.org.uk to find our inspection reports, or share an experience of care. You can also call us to share an experience of care on 03000 61 61 61. Here are some tips to help you choose your care.
Social care Top tips 1
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The Care Quality Commission (CQC) registers all care homes and home care agencies. You can find out which ones support specific groups of people, such as people with a learning disability or those living with dementia. CQC’s Chief Inspector for Adult Social Care, Andrea Sutcliffe always uses ‘The Mum Test’: is a care home safe, caring, effective, responsive to people’s needs and well-led? In other words, is it good enough for my Mum (or anyone else I love and care for)? Look for care homes and home care agencies where the staff involve people who use services and their families and carers, and treat individuals with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
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Whether you are being cared for in your own home or in a residential setting, the staff looking after you need to be skilled, kind and supportive. They should also be capable and confident in dealing with your particular needs. You should always feel that their support is helping you to live the life you want to. A care home will be a home for you or your loved one. Residents should be treated as individuals with their likes and dislikes taken into account. Think about whether a home is close enough to family, friends, and community facilities. Look at how well-led and managed a home is. What does it have in place to ensure that it delivers high quality care? Does it promote meaningful activity and connect the home with the community?
If you or a loved one needs help with day-today care, you can contact your local council’s social services department. They will ‘make an assessment of your needs’ and depending on circumstances, may be able to help you access financial help. For more advice visit Age UK’s website www.ageuk.org.uk/home-and-care.
If you would like to organise your care yourself, you can find a care worker or personal assistant through an agency. Your local social services department should be able to provide details of approved agencies.
CQC’s ratings will identify services as:
Outstanding Good ● Requires improvement ● Inadequate ● This will help you make informed choices around your care.
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Safeguarding adults who receive social care is everybody’s business. If you are concerned about the safety of a loved one receiving care, contact the service provider in the first instance. You can also contact social services at your local council. If you feel a crime has been committed, contact the police. You can share your safeguarding concerns with us on our website or contact our National Customer Services on 03000 616161.
The Care Quality Commission has not vetted the advertisers in this publication and accepts no liability for work done or goods supplied by any advertiser. Nor does the Care Quality Commission endorse any of the products or services.
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GP Top tips
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If you are new to an area you can find details of local GP services such as doctors’ practices, out-of-hours services and walkin centres in our online directory of care services www.cqc.org.uk/content/doctorsgps
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You can search any of these services by the name of the service, a place name or your postcode at www.cqc.org.uk
After an inspection, CQC publishes its findings in a report on its website. You can use these reports to check and compare services in your area.
Telephone: 03000 616161 • Web: www.cqc.org.uk
CQC rates all GPs to help people make choices about where they get treatment. This will be on a four-point scale:
Outstanding Good ● Requires improvement ● Inadequate ●
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There are already over 1,000 reports about GP practices published on the CQC website.
Last year, CQC launched its new-style inspection reports for GPs – looking at the five key areas SAFE, EFFECTIVE, CARING, RESPONSIVE and WELL-LED – you can use the reports to compare local GPs and choose services.
You can also use these new style inspection reports to find out more about local services and choose the one that is best for your needs.
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CQC will also look at how specific population groups are treated and give a rating. For instance how well they serve: Mothers, children and young people, vulnerable older people (over 75s) and people with long-term conditions. People will be able to choose a GP service that rates highly on the areas that matter to them.
We welcome your feedback (good and bad) on the services you, or a loved one, receives from your GP. You can share information with us online at http://www.cqc.org.uk/share-yourexperience-finder or call us on 03000 61 61 61.
/CareQualityCommission
@CareQualityComm
The Care Quality Commission has not vetted the advertisers in this publication and accepts no liability for work done or goods supplied by any advertiser. Nor does the Care Quality Commission endorse any of the products or services.
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Services in Medway Medway Walter Brice Day Centre, Tilley Close, Hoo, Rochester, Kent, ME3 9AE
The Admirals Offices, Historic Dockyard, Chatham ME4 4TZ
Tel: (01634) 253611
Tel: (01634) 572616
Allhallows Cliffe
St Mary Hoo
MEDWAY St Mary’s Island
Wisdom Hospice, High Bank, St Williams Way, Rochester, Kent, ME1 2NU Tel: (01634) 830456
Isle of Grain
Upper Stoke
Sunlight Centre GP Surgery, 105 Richmond Road, Gillingham, Kent ME7 1LX Tel: (01634) 283847
Rochester
Chatham Gillingham
ourZone, Pattens Lane, Rochester, ME1 2RB Tel: (01634) 335580
Hempstead
MCH Pentagon 30 - 34 Pentagon Centre, Military Road, Chatham, Kent, ME4 4BB
Darland House Nursing Home, 29 Darland Avenue, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 3AL
Amherst Court, Palmerston Road, Chatham, Kent ME4 6LU
Tel: (01634) 852323
MAIDSTONE
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1 Dairy Court, Fairview Farm, Linton Road, Loose, Maidstone, Kent ME15 0AL
MCH House Bailey Drive, Gillingham, Kent ME8 0PZ
Tel: (01622) 747181
Tel: (01634) 337593 The locations on the map indicate where services operate out of.
Useful contacts A
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Action on Elder Abuse 080 880 88141 We work to protect, and prevent the abuse of, vulnerable older adults. Action on Elder Abuse, PO Box 60001, Streatham SW16 9BY I www.elderabuse.org.uk I enquiries@elderabuse.org.uk
Mind (National Association 0300 123 3393 for Mental Health) The leading mental health charity in England and Wales. We work to create a better life for everyone with experience of mental distress. I www.mind.org.uk I contact@mind.org.uk
Admiral Nurses 0800 888 6678 This helpline has been set up to provide people with an opportunity to talk through their worries and concerns about themselves, friends or relatives with dementia. The lines are open on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 11am and 9pm. Callers can leave messages any time and request a call back I www.dementiauk.org I direct@dementiauk.org Age UK Medway 01634 572616 The Admirals Offices, Historic Dockyard, Chatham ME4 4TZ I www.ageuk.org.uk/medway Alzheimer’s Society 01622 747181 1 Dairy Court, Fairview Farm, Linton Road, Loose, Maidstone, Kent ME15 0AL I www.alzheimers.org.uk
C CareAware 0161 707 1107 A one stop shop for free advice on care fee funding for older people. I www.careaware.co.uk I enquiries@careaware.co.uk Care Quality Commission (CQC) National Correspondence, Citygate, Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4PA I www.cqc.org.uk I enquiries@cqc.org.uk
03000 616161
Cruse Bereavement Care 0808 808 1677 Cruse Bereavement Care is here to support you after the death of someone close. I www.cruse.org.uk I helpline@cruse.org.uk
D DIAL North West Kent 01474 356962 DIAL provides free confidential information and advice on all aspects of disability to the residents of North West Kent (Dartford, Swanley and Gravesham). DIAL NWK c/o KASBAH 7 The Hive, Northfleet, Kent DA11 9DE I www.dialnwk.org.uk I info@dialnwk.org.uk Disability Benefits – for Disability 0845 712 3456 Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance I Textphone: 0845 722 4433 I www.direct.gov.uk/en/Dl1/Directories DG_10011169
E Elderly Accommodation Counsel 0800 377 7070 Elderly Accommodation Counsel (EAC) is a national charity that aims to help older people make informed choices about meeting their housing and care needs. I www.eac.org.uk I info@firststopadvice.org.uk
I Integrated Care Council 01379 678243 The Integrated Care Council (ICC) is a body that brings together British health and social care, public and independent sector organisations that commission or directly provide support for people living at home. I www.integratedcarecouncil.co.uk
M Medway Citizens Advice Bureau 3rd Floor Kingsley House, 37-39 Balmoral Road, Gillingham, Kent ME7 4PF I www.medwayadvice.org.uk/
01634 383760
N National Osteoporosis Society 0845 450 0230 Advice, information and support group for people with osteoporosis. I www.nos.org.uk National Rheumatoid 0800 298 7650 Arthritis Society (NRAS) or 0845 458 3969 Provide information, support and advice for people living with Rheumatoid Arthritis. I www.nras.org.uk NHS 111
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P Parkinson's Disease Society I www.parkinsons.org.uk
0800 800 0303
R Royal Voluntary Service 0845 608 0122 A volunteer organisation that enriches the lives of older people and their families across Britain. We support older people by giving time and practical help to help them get the best from life. Royal Voluntary Service, Cardiff Gate, Beck Court, Cardiff Gate Business Park, Cardiff CF23 8RP I www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk
S Stroke Association 0845 3033 100 Advice and information for stroke patients and their families. I www.stroke.org.uk
T The Department of Work and Pensions I www.dwp.gov.uk The Pension Service 0845 606 0265 I w ww.dwp.gov.uk/about-dwp/customerdelivery/thepension-service
OCTAGON DE S IG N & M A R K E T I NG LT D
Every possible care has been taken to ensure that the information given in this publication is correct at the time of going to print. Whilst the publisher would be grateful to learn of any errors, it cannot accept any liability over and above the cost of the advertisement for loss there by caused. No reproduction by any method whatsoever of any part of this publication is permitted without prior written consent of the copyright owners. Octagon Design & Marketing Ltd. ©2018. Hawks Nest Cottage, Great North Road, Bawtry, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN10 6AB. Telephone: 01302 714528 Options Medway is published by Octagon Design and Marketing Ltd with editorial contributions from Medway Community Healthcare, the CQC, Age UK, the Alzheimer’s Society and NHS choices. The editorial contributors have not vetted the advertisers in this publication and accepts no liability for work done or goods supplied by any advertiser. Nor do the editorial contributors endorse any of the products or services.
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Are you passionate about quality? We have been changing lives in Medway since 1995.
CALL VICTORIA
01634 295630 CQC overall GOOD
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PEMBROKE HOUSE The Royal Naval Benevolent Trust’s Care Home
Providing a home from home for older members of the Royal Naval family
Located close to the historic Chatham Dockyard, we provide 24 hour nursing and residential care in our exceptional building that features good sized, well furnished rooms, en-suite facilities, comfortable communal areas and landscaped gardens. We believe personal enrichment shouldn’t stop when you move in with us, so we don’t just provide quality of care, we ensure quality of life.
11 Oxford Road, Gillingham, Kent ME7 4BS Call 01634 852431 or email enquiry@pembrokehouse-rnbt.org.uk www.rnbt.org.uk 31
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