OPTIONS A guide to care and independent living
Leaving hospital What’s next?
NHS continuing healthcare Who’s eligible?
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SOCIAL CARE
tips
Healthcare services Choosing the right one
Medway Autumn 2017
CONTRIBUTORS: Age UK Medway Alzheimer’s Society Medway Community Healthcare NHS Choices
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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 If you need medical help fast, but it is not life threatening – call 111............................... 9 NHS continuing healthcare............................................................................................. 12-14 Personalised care............................................................................................................. 14-15 What is NHS-funded nursing care?..................................................................................... 16 Paying for your own care and support.......................................................................... 17-18 The Motability Scheme........................................................................................................ 19 Care services in your home............................................................................................. 20-21 Age UK Medway - Providing care and support 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
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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.
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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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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 is based at the Walter Brice Centre in Hoo, and comprises five teams that support our patients’ physical and 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. All five teams work closely with Medway Maritime Hospital and our community nursing teams by supporting elderly and frail patients that have been discharged from hospital. 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.
Rapid response A patient who is unwell at home or being discharged home from hospital and is housebound, will be supported by the rapid response team. Such patients may have a ‘package of care’ to support their recovery and 6
during a six week period the rapid response team will put together an occupational therapy and physiotherapy rehabilitation programme to help the patient to regain their independence and reduce the need for additional services. If patients are discharged from hospital, but unable to immediately return home, their recovery will be supported at an inpatient rehab unit in Medway. Additionally, Home First, our partnership programme with Medway Council, Medway CCG and Medway Foundation Trust, supports rapid response and focusses on improving patient flow across Medway, and improving hospital discharges to make getting patients home a priority.
Community physiotherapy Once a patient has started to recover from their illness or injuries, rather than be discharged and wait for a referral to other services; patients can be internally transferred to community physiotherapy. Like the rapid response team, this team again facilitates recovery for housebound patients who are unable or not yet ready to leave their home, and who need assessment and treatment that helps them to move safely and independently.
Falls team The falls team assesses and treats patients with a 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.
Neuro physiotherapy Neuro physiotherapy is a specialist service that supports all the teams within community rehabilitation and across MCH, especially with respect to conditions such as MS, Parkinson’s disease and vestibular (inner ear and brain) conditions.
Walter Brice Rehabilitation Centre Patients who are continuing to recover and beginning to gain enough confidence to leave home or need help to retain function and independence, will be referred or transferred to the care of the Walter Brice Rehabilitation Centre. The centre offers patients the opportunity to gain confidence and functional independence through group and 1:1 treatments and activities put together by occupational therapists and physiotherapists.
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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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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
Copperfields RESIDENTIAL CARE FOR OLDER PEOPLE
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
Durland House
Residential Care Home Durland House is an exciting new luxury residential care home in Rainham, Kent that offers bespoke care packages for the over 65’s. We are committed to providing a warm and friendly atmosphere with experienced support and care for our residents in a “home from home” setting. Residents can expect a professional yet dignified service tailored to individual needs. We also take enquiries for short-stay respite visitors.
Please call 01634 364305 or 07792 890723 for more information, please use our care home enquiry form, or email info@durlandhouse.co.uk Durland House 160 High Street, Rainham, Gillingham, Medway, Kent ME8 8AT 10
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
Supported Living Provider 4 CSR supports vulnerable people with complex needs to live as independently as possible and as part of the wider community. We support people in their own homes – levels of support vary according to your needs. We specialise in supporting people with a learning disability, challenging behaviour, autism, Asperger’s, Prada Willis syndrome, mental health issues, physical disabilities, victims of domestic abuse, care leavers, young offenders and substance misuse. Our vision is holistic, embracing not just material needs, but all aspects of a person’s life from health and education to social and vocational skills as well as recreation and leisure. Acquiring the skills and ability to achieve independence on individual terms is a necessity for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. Our Services • Outreach Service • Supported Living • Individual Budgets/ Direct Payments
• Day Care Services • Respite for Carers • Domiciliary Care/ Home help/
• Private Live-in care • Semi independent and unaccompanied minors
If you, or anyone you know, would like to talk to someone at 4 CSR Services Ltd about how we can support you, please call:
01634 404441
Email: referrals@4csr.org.uk • Website: www.4csr.org.uk 11
NHS continuing healthcare NHS continuing healthcare, also known as “fully funded NHS care”, is free care outside of hospital that is arranged and funded by the NHS. This means that you will receive care and support to meet your assessed needs at no cost to you.
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.
Eligibility 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”) as having a “primary health need”. Whether or not someone has a primary health need is assessed by looking at all their care needs and relating them to: • what help is needed • how complex these needs are • how intense or severe these needs can be • how unpredictable they are, including any risks to the person’s 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 still 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 12
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 is an initial checklist assessment, 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 will 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 will be referred for a full assessment of eligibility. Being referred for a full assessment doesn’t necessarily mean that you will 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 written reasons for their decision, and sign and date the checklist. 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 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 then given a weighting marked “priority”, “severe”, “high”, “moderate”, “low” or “no needs”. The multidisciplinary team will consider: • what help is needed •h ow complex these needs are • how intense or severe these needs can be • how unpredictable they are, including any risks to the person’s health if the right care isn’t provided at the right time 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 someone’s condition is deteriorating quickly and they are nearing the end of their life, they 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.
Care and support planning If you are 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 is agreed that a care home is the best option for you, there could be more than one local care home that is 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 are eligible for NHS continuing healthcare, your needs and support package should 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 are still eligible for NHS continuing healthcare.
Refunds for delays in NHS continuing healthcare funding CCGs should 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 that you are 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 are not eligible for NHS continuing healthcare If you are not eligible for NHS continuing healthcare, but you are assessed as requiring nursing care in a care >> 13
home (in other words, a care home that is registered to provide nursing care) you will be eligible for NHS-funded nursing care. This means that the NHS will pay a contribution towards the cost of your registered nursing care. This is known as NHS-funding nursing care and is available irrespective of who is funding the rest of the care home fees. NHS England has issued guidance on how people can be compensated following eligibility disputes and delays in receiving NHS continuing healthcare.
Frequently asked questions about NHS continuing healthcare I have a local authority support package that works well. I am now eligible for NHS continuing healthcare – will my support package change? If you are 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”. If you’re still not satisfied, you may want to complain. Can someone refuse an assessment for NHS continuing healthcare? If they do refuse, will they be able to get services from their local authority? An assessment for NHS continuing healthcare can’t be carried out without someone’s consent, so it is possible to refuse. However, if they do refuse, although they will still be entitled to an assessment by the local authority there is no guarantee that they will be provided with services. This is because there is 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 is evidence that a move is likely to have a significantly detrimental effect on your relative’s health or wellbeing, you should discuss this with the CCG who will take your concerns into account when considering the most appropriate arrangements. If the CCG decides to arrange an alternative placement, they should make efforts to provide a reasonable choice of homes. Is it possible to pay top-up fees for NHS continuing healthcare? No, it is not 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. Content supplied by:
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Personalised If your local authority agrees to pay for some or all of your home care needs, it must offer you choice over how to meet your needs – this is known as personalisation of your care and support. A good assessment of your needs will help you begin to think about the kinds of things you may want to do to meet you care and support needs. Following this, you will be involved in planning out how you would like to meet your needs, and be given a personal budget, and can choose to take a direct payment. Self-directed support through good planning, personal budgets and direct payments is often called “personalised support” or “personalisation”. It gives you choice and control over how your needs are met, and enables you to do the things you value the most.
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 that you can directly pay for your own care (a direct payment). It could 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. These are commonly known as Individual Service Funds. Additionally, 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.
Direct payments Direct payments give you the most control over your care, and mean that if you are unhappy with the services you’re getting, you can decide to change who gives you the care services without the process of going through the local authority. However, with this freedom comes the responsibility of accounting for how the budget is spent to ensure it is meeting your needs, and additional responsibilities if you decide to become an employer and hire a personal assistant with your direct payment. The Money Advice Service has a guide to using direct payments.
ed care
What does personalised support mean for me? Personalisation means that you will have to spend some time and effort thinking about your care and support needs, the outcomes you wish to achieve, and how you may want to meet your needs. Depending on the choices you make, there may be some additional 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 careworkers through an agency, which removes the legal obligations of being employer, but may potentially add costs and may remove some of the benefits of having the same person provide your care. Read more about how to choose care services.
How does personalised care and support work? You and your social worker or care manager will work together to create a care and support plan. This plan details your care and support needs, and will be used to work out the value of your “personal budget”. Your support plan should consider: • 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 Ensure that 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). You will need to clarify how you will manage 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:
and consider which option is best for you. If someone else will be looking after your money, you may need to create a “decision-making agreement”. A decision-making agreement should state how they will 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 that your care and support needs are being met. You may need to keep receipts where possible (especially for large purchases), so that you can show them you’ve spent your money responsibly. If you choose a direct payment, the council will give you a direct payment agreement that will set out the terms and conditions. If you’re struggling to manage your money, the local authority should advise you on how to make your money work best for you.
Checking your care plan is meeting your care and support needs You should 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 in which 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, you should provide any receipts you’ve 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’ve been informed that you’re not eligible for services, or you don’t agree with the amount allocated to you in your personal budget, you can request 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. Find out how direct payments and personal budgets work.
• 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
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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 NHSfunded nursing care, the NHS will arrange and fund nursing care provided by registered nurses employed by the care home. Services provided by a registered 16
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 2017, the rate was set at £155.05 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, NHS-funded nursing care is paid at a higher rate. In April 2017, the higher rate was set at £213.32 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 £155.05 a week, or • you become entitled to NHS continuing healthcare instead. Content supplied by:
Paying for your own care and support Many people who use care and support services will pay for all of the costs. This is known as being a “self-funder”. The cost of your care will vary depending on its type, intensity, specialisation, location and duration. For example, a place in a residential care home will cost hundreds of pounds a week. To make decisions that have such major financial implications, you may want to seek independent financial advice and it’s always worth researching the costs of alternatives first. For example, if you are considering a care home place, the cost should be weighed against the cost of care and support that may help you remain in your current home, such as homecare.
How much will care cost? If you are thinking about your future care needs or are facing immediate decisions about care options, it can be helpful to get an idea how much care can cost. Inevitably, the price you would pay will depend on your particular circumstances and needs. The costs also vary depending on where you live. Unfortunately, care homes and homecare agencies tend not to provide this information publicly but you may find it helpful to search for and contact care services in your area to get some idea of likely costs.
The ‘cap on care costs’ Currently, it is not easy to plan for your future care needs, as it’s hard to estimate how long you will need care for and how your circumstances may change. From April 2020, a “cap” on the costs of meeting your eligible care needs (but not accommodation associated with care or nursing costs) is being introduced. The cap means that, once reached, the local authority will take over paying the cost of their eligible care needs. The cap will not cover your daily living costs. These costs include expenses such as rent, food and utilities and the costs you would face even if you did not have care needs. It is important to note that daily living costs will be a nationally set figure. This figure will be a “notional” amount rather than the actual costs. This is designed to support consistency and enable people to plan. To benefit from the cap once it comes in, you will need to contact your local authority to see if your needs are eligible. If you are seen to have eligible care needs, the local authority will open a “care account” for you. This account records your progress (the amount of costs you have incurred) towards the cap. The cap does not begin until April 2020 and any costs
incurred before this will not count towards the cap. The BBC’s care calculator can estimate how much you may have to pay for care services depending on where you live in England, once the new rules are in place. This will give you an idea of how the cap will work for you, but actual costs will vary to reflect your individual circumstances and needs and how they change over time. For more information on how paying for care is changing from 2020, read about the changes in the Care Act.
Ask for help from your local authority It’s worth checking whether you’re eligible for meanstested support from your local authority or other financial support – for example, through a care needs assessment and a financial assessment. Few of us will have the income or ready access to the cash to pay for our ongoing care needs, and you may need to look at selling or remortgaging any property you may own. The new Care Act means more people may be able to benefit from “deferred payments”. Deferred payments can help people avoid being forced to sell their home in a crisis in order to pay for their care by having the council temporarily cover the cost – usually until you sell your property. Following the Care Act, every local authority in England has to make deferred payment agreements available. As an alternative, you may be able to enter an “equity release scheme” with a financial organisation. Equity release can pay for the fees from the value of property you own. However, you should consider which of these options best meets your needs, and what the overall costs to you will be. Before taking such significant financial steps as equity release, you might want to get independent financial advice. You can find information on equity release for care at home from Which? Elderly Care or the Money Advice Service’s equity release information. If you’re planning ahead, you may consider arranging an investment or insurance plan to fund your care. Again, it may be worth taking independent advice on financial arrangements before making major changes. Because of the new rules, there are likely to be more financial products emerging that are designed to help people pay for care. You may also want to explore whether the NHS would meet some or all of your care and support costs, or you may have entitlement to benefits that
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may help you meet costs. Read about other ways of funding care.
Advice on paying for care Even if your local authority is not able to help fund your care, it will be able to make an assessment of your care and support needs. From this, the local authority can provide you with access to a range of information and advice available locally. You can also get independent advice from: • The Money Advice Service website: offers information on paying for care or the option to speak to an online adviser. You can call the Money Advice Service on 0300 500 5000. • The Society of Later Life Advisers: the society can also help you find advice on how to make financial plans for care in your old age. • Find Me Good Care: a website of the Social Care Institute for Excellence. It has advice on all aspects of planning and funding social care. • Age UK: has great advice for older people and those planning for their later years. • Carers UK: an excellent resource of advice for carers who need to help someone else. • Which? Elderly Care has a guide to financing care.
Deferred payments if you are unable to pay for care services Care home fees are a big financial commitment, and the decision to go into a care home is often made at a moment of crisis or urgency, such as when being discharged from hospital. This can make finding the money to pay for fees (usually several hundred pounds a week) challenging for people funding their own care. In particular, if you own property outright but have little in the way of savings, you may be expected to fund your own care but have little immediately available money to pay for it. Some people going to stay in a care home for a long time find that they have no option but to sell their property to pay the care home fees. Your council may be able to help you if you are at risk of having to sell your home. Where there is a delay in selling the property, or you don’t want to sell the property immediately, you may be eligible to have your care fee payment “deferred”. This is where the local authority helps you to pay your care fees temporarily, and you repay the costs to the local authority at a later date. If the local authority agrees to the deferred payment and pays the care home fees, it will take payment from the money raised once the property is sold. This can be: 18 18
• during your lifetime if you choose to sell your home • once you die, the local authority can be repaid from your estate All councils must offer people the chance to defer payment if they meet a set of eligibility criteria. A deferred payment scheme is only available if you don’t have enough income to cover your care home fees, and you have less in savings than £23,250. In these circumstances, the savings don’t include the value of your property, but does include money in bank accounts. The local authority will put a “legal charge” (similar to a mortgage) on the property and will then pay the remaining care fees in full. You will then be assessed to see whether they are able to pay a weekly charge to the authority. Your ability to pay is based on your income less a set “disposable income allowance” (currently £144 per week). Before considering deferred payments, you should look into whether the property will or won’t be counted in how your capital is calculated. For instance, it may be disregarded because your partner still lives there, and if it is a deferred payment agreement wouldn’t be necessary. It’s wise to get independent financial advice before agreeing to a deferred payment, and it’s worth bearing in mind that choosing deferred payments can impact on some welfare benefits.
Protection for self-funders While you may have the savings in place to afford care services, if you lack the capacity to make the arrangements, the local authority can step in to help. The local authority can also help people who lack capacity by negotiating fees with a care provider and paying them directly. The local authority will need to be reimbursed. Anyone entering into a contract for care services should be given adequate information about the fees. Care providers should supply: • information about the fees charged for various services provided • arrangements for paying the fees • the fees charged for any additional services If your capital falls below the set levels for local authority funding (currently £23,250), you will be eligible for reassessment for help with funding your care.
Content supplied by:
The Motability Scheme The Motability scheme allows some disabled people getting DLA, PIP or War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement to obtain a car, powered wheelchair or scooter. The scheme uses some or all of your mobility benefit payments to cover the cost of “contract hire” or “hire purchase” of an appropriate vehicle. You can also pay an extra amount of money if you want a more expensive vehicle. With hire purchase, the price of the car will be agreed directly with the Motability dealer, and you will own the vehicle outright at the end of the agreement. With contract hire, you won’t own a vehicle, but you will get a new car every three years, full
insurance for the driver and passengers, servicing, maintenance and repairs, vehicle excise duty, replacement tyres and breakdown cover. Adaptations to the car can be made if needed, although there may be an extra charge for some adaptations. Under the Motability scheme, cars can also be adapted for people in wheelchairs. If you don’t need or want a car, you can transfer your allowance to lease a scooter or powered wheelchair. Content supplied by:
Contact and Support We are here to answer any questions you may have about the Mobility Scheme. You can contact our Customer Services team directly or one of our Scheme partners depending on the nature on your enquiry. Tel: 0300 456 4566. Opening times: 8am-7pm Monday to Friday, 9am-1pm Saturday, Monday 9am-11am is our busiest period. You may find it easier to call outside these times.
If you have specialist Minicom equipment, call our textphone number on 0300 037 0100 or speak to us through a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter for Deaf customers who have an enquiry about the Motability Scheme. 19
Care services in If you need help around the home, a good option is to have a care worker come in to your home to help you.
Types of care and support Care and support comes in many forms and has 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 • cooking or preparing meals • nursing and health care • companionship Care and support can be very flexible, in order to meet your needs, and 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:
by the local authority, through direct payments or a personal budget. If you have chosen direct payments or a personal budget, or you aren’t eligible for local authority help and want to get care privately, you can arrange it in several different ways.
Independent care and support agencies If you use an independent care and support agency, you or the person you’re looking after 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. Independent care and support providers are regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Care and support agencies must meet CQC’s national minimum standards and regulations in areas such as training and recordkeeping. 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. Care and support agencies can also: • t ake over the burden of being an employer – for example, payroll, training, disciplinary issues and insurance
• local care and support services and agencies
• t rain their care and support workers through national qualifications and service-specific training
• a list of national care and support organisations
• r eplace workers when they are ill, on holiday or resign
• services that can help you stay safe and well in your home on a long-term basis; these services, often known as “supported living services”, can include financial, help with medication, advocacy, social and practical support • a place to live in a family who will care for you, known as “shared lives services” or adult placement services If you believe that you might benefit from some help at home, the first thing to do is to contact your social services department to ask for an assessment of your care and support needs. To contact social services, go to GOV.UK: find your local authority. If you are eligible for care and support services, the local authority may provide or arrange the help themselves. Alternatively, you can arrange your own care, funded 20
your home
•p ut things right when they go wrong An agency will want to see you and the person you’re looking after so that they can assess your needs. This also means that a joint decision can be made about the most appropriate type of care and support. You can find out more from the UK Homecare Association.
What are the disadvantages of using a care and support agency? The main disadvantage is the cost of using an agency. The agency will charge a fee on top of the payment made to the care worker to cover their running costs and profit. 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 The fees some agencies charge can be quite high. Before deciding to go ahead with an agency, you should ask questions about the fee and what it covers, including: • Does the agency check references? • What training and supervision do they provide? • What is their complaints policy? • Who will be responsible for insurance? • Is there any out-of-hours or emergency contact if needed? • Will they be able to provide staff if your own care worker is ill or away? (If an agency contracts to provide care every day, it must ensure that it does.)
Hiring a personal assistant 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 the continuity, familiarity and ongoing relationship with your assistant. However, if you employ a personal assistant, you will then have the legal responsibility of an employer. This will include arranging cover for their illness and holidays.
Employers must apply for an enhanced DBS check (formerly known as a CRB check) when taking on new employees or volunteers to work with vulnerable adults or children. This includes a check of the barred lists. If an organisation fails to make the relevant checks, they can be penalised. If an organisation dismisses an employee or volunteer for harming a child or vulnerable adult, they must tell the DBS. The DBS must also be notified if any employee or volunteer harms a child or vulnerable adult, but isn’t dismissed because they leave voluntarily. If their organisation does not tell DBS, they will be acting illegally. Questions can be answered by the DBS call centre on 0870 909 0811, or by email.
Employing a care worker on a private basis If you employ a care worker privately, you will not be obliged to use the DBS scheme, but you can use it if you choose to. You need to ask social services or the police to make the checks on your behalf. The care worker must have already applied to be vetted, and must consent to the check. If you have concerns about the suitability of someone you employ privately to work with a vulnerable adult or child, you can ask social services to investigate the matter. They can refer the worker to the ISA on your behalf.
Manual handling
GOV.UK has more information on becoming an employer, while Which? Elderly Care also has advice on employing private individuals.
If you need help to move, or you need someone to lift you (such as getting out of bed or getting on to the toilet), this can put the person doing the lifting at risk of injury.
Care and support from charities
This “manual handling” can result in back pain and in the most serious cases, permanent disability if not done correctly.
Charities such as Age UK and Carers Trust can provide home help and domestic assistance services. The Carers Trust supports carers by giving them a break from their caring responsibilities through care and support services. Marie Curie Nurses can provide practical and emotional support for people near the end of their lives in their own homes.
Safeguarding vulnerable groups The DBS makes decisions about who is unsuitable to work or volunteer with vulnerable adults or children. It makes this decision based on information held by various agencies and government departments. The service decides who is unsuitable to work or volunteer with vulnerable adults or children. If someone who is barred from working with children or vulnerable adults is working, volunteering or trying to work or volunteer with these groups, they are breaking the law. They could face a fine and up to five years in prison.
The law says that employers must take reasonable precautions to ensure their employees don’t do any manual handling that carries a risk of them being injured. This applies to you if you directly employ a personal assistant to care for you (but most likely will not if you hire someone through an agency). It is particularly important to consider insurance in this situation. This would cover any risk of the care worker injuring themselves, as well as any risk of them causing an injury. There are rules around the risk assessments you need to carry out, and the Health and Safety Executive produces advice on safe manual handling. Editorial content for pages 9, 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
T d t 24
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. There’s also useful advice on the Social Care Institute for Excellence’s Find me good care website www.scie.org.uk/findmegoodcare/
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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 020 8835 9280 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
Medway Citizens Advice Bureau 3rd Floor Kingsley House, 37-39 Balmoral Road, Gillingham, Kent ME7 4PF I www.medwayadvice.org.uk/
Admiral Nursing DIRECT 0845 257 9406 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 direct@dementiauk.org
Mind (National Association 020 8519 2122 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
Age UK Medway 01634 572616 The Admirals Offices, Historic Dockyard, Chatham ME4 4TZ I www.ageuk.org.uk/medway
National Osteoporosis Society 0845 450 0230 Advice, information and support group for people with osteoporosis. I www.nos.org.uk
Alzheimer’s Society 01622 747181 1 Dairy Court, Fairview Farm, Linton Road, Loose, Maidstone, Kent ME15 0AL I www.alzheimers.org.uk Arthritis - 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
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 0844 477 9400 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 A national charity that aims to help older people make informed choices about meeting their housing and care needs. It is now more commonly known as EAC. I www.eac.org.uk I info@firststopadvice.org.uk
I Integrated Care Council 01379 678243 (Formerly the National Homecare Council) The Integrated Care Council is a body which brings together British public and independent sector organisations who commission or directly provide support for people living at home.
01634 383760
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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. ©2017. 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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Do you look after someone who depends on you? Free information, advice, guidance, emotional and practical support and a listening ear for unpaid family carers.
Carers Support
Norman House Beaver Business Park Beaver Road Ashford Kent TN23 7SH
01233 664393
Tel: Email: admin@carers-ashford.org.uk Website: www.carers-ashford.org.uk Registered Charity No: 1061475 Company Limited by Guarantee: 3099929 Member of East Kent Carers Consortium CIC 7768512 30
Caring for someone, whether they are elderly, frail, have a long term illness, a physical or learning disability, or a substance misuse issue, can be very rewarding. It can also be very tiring and stressful and affect your own health. You could be a relative who has become a carer either suddenly, or over a period of time. You may well run around pretty much each day, shop, clean, cook and help the person you care for with personal hygiene. You may also look after their finances and other family issues. If you are aged 16 year or over and caring for an adult, we currently offer: • Information, advice and guidance • Regular telephone contact and support • Emotional support • Social groups • Training opportunities • Carers Activities • Carers Forums • Carers Assessment • Signposting to other agencies • Kent Carers Emergency Card • Carers News Magazine • Information stands All of our services are free.
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