Issuu

OPTIONS A guide to care and independent living

Cambridgeshire Summer 2018

Leaving hospital What’s next?

SOCIAL CARE

tips

NHS continuing healthcare Who’s eligible?

Healthcare services Choosing the right one

CONTRIBUTORS: Age UK Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Alzheimer’s Society Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS FT North West Anglia NHS FT NHS Choices

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Contents How do you get help if you or a loved one is struggling with a mental health illness?....4 What to do in a mental health crisis?................................................................................ 5 Top tips for looking after your mental health.................................................................. 6 Integrated community and mental health services....................................................... 7-8 Worried you have an urgent medical concern? CALL 111................................................... 9 Hinchingbrooke Hospital – planning your discharge from hospital............................ 12-13 NHS continuing healthcare............................................................................................. 14-16 Taking charge of your own personal budget................................................................ 17-18 What is NHS-funded nursing care?..................................................................................... 18 Self-funding: paying for your own care and support................................................... 19-20 Care and support: what’s available................................................................................ 20-22 Driving and using public transport................................................................................ 22-23 Age UK Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Services....................................................... 24-25 Alzheimer’s Society Cambridgeshire – When a loved one with dementia leaves hospital................................................................................................................. 26-27 The Care Quality Commission Social Care, GP and Mental Health top tips................ 28-30 Useful contacts..................................................................................................................... 31 NHS Hospitals and services in Cambridgeshire................................................................... 32

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.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

NHS Foundation Trust

OCTAGON DESIG N & M A R K E T I NG LT D

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) provides mental health, community, learning disability, substance misuse and social care services across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough along with children’s community services in Peterborough. Every year, one in four of us will experience a mental health illness. The experience will be different for each of us, as will the type of support we need. But what mental health services are there? And how do they fit in with other health and public services? CPFT sees about 40,000 patients a year and employs more than 3,000 staff. We provide services from more than 90 sites across the county – our biggest bases are at Fulbourn in Cambridge and The Cavell Centre in Peterborough. CPFT’s services include: •C hildren’s mental health and community services • Adult mental health services •O lder people’s and adult community services • Forensic and specialist mental health services • Primary care and liaison psychiatry services • Substance misuse services • Specialist learning disability services • Learning disability services Our core purpose is to provide excellent community and mental health services to people of all ages across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and beyond this geographical boundary. We also provide some specialist services on a regional and national basis. 4

How do you get help if you or a loved one is struggling with a mental health illness? The help and support you receive will depend on what illness you have. Depression and anxiety are two of the most common mental health illnesses and this can be treated in primary care (your GP). If your illness is more severe, your GP may refer you on to one of CPFT’s mental health services. If you are suffering from anxiety or depression and feel you need help, you can contact our Psychological Wellbeing Service. This service allows patients to refer themselves (or your GP can refer you) and put you in direct contact with mental health professionals. Treatments include individual therapy, guided self-help, group sessions including training in Mindfulness, a range of psychotherapy courses and online options. Anyone registered with a GP in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough area can access the Psychological Wellbeing Service by completing an online form that can be found on the Trust’s website www.cpft.nhs. uk. They will be then be contacted by someone from the Trust and talked through the options available to them. Alternatively, the service can be contacted by calling 0300 300 0055. The lines are open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, excluding Bank Holidays.

What to do in a mental health crisis? You might be in crisis if: •Y ou are thinking of hurting yourself or suicide seems the only option • S omeone you know has made threats to hurt you or someone else. •Y ou are experiencing extreme distress that seems overwhelming. If you believe you or a person you care for is in a mental health crisis and is in immediate need of help, there are several different avenues you can take. If you are already receiving support from mental health services, the first point of contact should be your care co-ordinator. Your care plan will contain information on how to contact them. If they are not available, ask to speak to the clinician on duty. If you are in crisis and need immediate help, then please contact The First Response Service (FRS). This is a service which puts your mental health first. It provides 24-hour access, seven days a week, 365 days a year, to mental health care, advice and support. If you are experiencing something that makes you feel unsafe, distressed or worried about your mental health you can now contact the FRS by dialling 111 and selecting option 2. The

phone will be answered by a trained mental health professional who will be able to listen to your concerns and help you get the support you need. With your permission, they can also access your medical records to better meet your needs and to avoid you repeatedly having to tell us your situation. They can offer advice over the phone, put you in contact with our crisis services or even refer you to a Sanctuary - safe places run by mental health charity, Mind in Cambridgeshire. The Sanctuaries offer shortterm practical and emotional support between 6pm and 1am, seven days a week. CPFT out-of-hours service is a phoneline available for CPFT’s service users who are experiencing a crisis in their mental health. The service is also available for carers who are concerned about the mental health of a service user. The out-of-hours telephone number is 0808 808 2121. This is available 7pm-11pm, 365 days a year. If you are feeling unwell and need a telephone health assessment, please call the NHS 111 service free of charge from any phone by dialling 111. If you are not able to obtain the support you need through the methods above, you can call 999 or go to your nearest A&E department. They will be able to assess your needs and contact mental health services to arrange an assessment or hospitalisation if necessary.

Top tips for looking after your mental health It is important to take care of yourself – both physically and mentally. Below are some tips to help you. •K eep active and get regular exercise – this helps you sleep, concentrate, look and feel better. Regular exercise is good for your mind and body. •D eal with practical problems when they arise – this prevents them from being overwhelming and unmanageable. •B uild and maintain friendships – friends and family give us support and comfort. •C are for and help others – this helps us to feel good about ourselves.

• Recognise the signs of poor mental health and ask for help – ignoring problems only makes them worse. None of us are superhuman. If things get too much, family, friends or health professionals can offer help. • Talk about your feelings – this helps us digest and process what’s going on so that we can begin to find solutions. Bottling up worries just makes things worse. • Accept who you are – this is an important part of valuing and taking care of yourself. • Take time to relax and unwind – this helps our resilience and helps us to get a good night’s sleep. • Do something you’re good at – enjoying yourself can help you fight stress and boost your self-esteem. • Eat and drink healthily – our brains and bodies need a mix of nutrients to stay healthy. A good, balanced diet is good for your physical and mental health. Drinking too much alcohol is not a good way to manage difficult feelings – once the drink wears off you’ll feel worse.

Useful contacts If you would like more information or support with a mental health issue, here are some useful contacts. •C ambridgeshire and Peterborough Psychological Wellbeing Service: 0300 300 0055 •C PFT out-of-hours line for mental health service users: 0808 808 2121. This is available 7pm-11pm, 365 days a year. • CPFT website: www.cpft.nhs.uk • NHS 111 service: Dial 111 if you urgently need medical help or advice but it’s not a life-threatening situation. • Samaritans: Call 116 123 • Mind infoline: 0300 123 3393 (weekdays 9am - 6pm) • Saneline: 0845 767 8000 (everyday 6pm - 11pm) • Childline: 0800 1111

Integrated community and mental health services The wide range of health and social care services available to help people can sometimes be hard to navigate - partly because these are provided by lots of different NHS Trusts and organisations, depending on the type of help that people need, such as health, social care and housing. Most people’s first point of contact with the NHS is when they either visit their GP or have to go to hospital if they become very unwell. However, in many ways, the ‘glue’ that holds these services together are the integrated community services provided by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT). These provide care in people’s homes and focus on keeping them out of hospital, or supporting them to return home when they are leave hospital, but need extra support. CPFT brings together community and mental health services for adults and older people in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. These are organised into 14 neighbourhood teams which are designed to improve joined-up working between primary care, community staff and mental health. This new way of working makes it easier to keep people safe and well in their homes by joining up community resources for over 65 year olds and adults with long-term conditions requiring community services (does not include mental health services for people aged 18-64 years old). They work closely with GPs, primary care, social care and the third and independent sector to provide joined-up, responsive, expert care and treatment. They operate 365 days a year. Most referrals into these services come from GPs, hospitals and other health professionals. The multi-disciplinary teams include: • integrated care workers • district nurses

• mental health nurses • community matrons • occupational therapists • physiotherapists • multi-disciplinary team (MDT) co-ordinators • team manager. The Trust also provides a number of specialist services that support the neighbourhood teams with expert assessment, treatment and advice. These include: • Diabetes • Respiratory • Tuberculosis (TB) • Heart Failure • Cardiac rehabilitation • Parkinson’s disease • Multiple sclerosis • CFS / ME • Epilepsy • Tissue viability • Continence • Dietetics • Podiatry • Neuro rehabilitation • Speech and language therapy • JET and out of hours (OOH) services. The aim is to provide multi-disciplinary, community health and social care, working with clusters of GP practices in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. It’s vital we put patients at the centre of services, not only those provided by CPFT, but also hospital and ambulance services, GPs, councils, care homes and the voluntary sector. Only by improving co-ordination, co-location and co-operation between different services and organisations can we make the best use of limited resources for a rapidly expanding, ageing population.

So the next phase is to build on these neighbourhood teams to fill in gaps in existing services by providing joined up health, social care and therapy to people in their own homes. There has also been a lot of work to agree how we best identify and support those who have complex needs and are most at risk of being admitted to hospital. So we’ve been working closely with all these organisations to develop a case management model which means that everyone uses the same criteria to spot those most at risk to ensure they get the help they need, when they need it.

JET continues to support patients The Joint Emergency Team (JET) continues to support more people at home. JET is an urgent two or four hour response service that supports people over the age of 65 or those with long-term conditions in their home environment when they become very unwell and need urgent care, but do not need to go to hospital. It comprises a paramedic or nurse who will visit the person at home to assess and arrange care for them if they are unwell and need urgent

care, but do not need to go hospital. It also links to more services, such as district nurses or occupational therapists.

Contact PALS The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) provides service users, their carers and families with help, information and support to resolve concerns quickly and efficiently. PALS achieves this by liaising with staff and managers, other PALS services and healthrelated organisations. We provide information about the Trust’s services and other healthrelated issues and we act as a gateway to independent advice and advocacy support from local and national sources, including Independent Complaints Advocacy Services. Your feedback is really important to us, and we also like to hear when our services are good. If you would like to compliment any of our staff please contact PALS and we will pass on your comments. Details about PALS information and complaints leaflets in languages including Bengali, Lithuanian, Mandarin, Polish, Russian, Urdu, Portuguese and Slovakian, are available below. If you need information in a language not listed, please contact us. For more information contact: Suzanne Williams – Patient Experience Officer Telephone: 01223 726774 (Office hours Monday to Friday) Freephone: 0800 376 0775 (Office hours Monday to Friday) Confidential email: pals@cpft.nhs.uk Postal address: PALS, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Elizabeth House, Fulbourn Hospital, Cambridge, CB21 5EF

More information about CPFT Web: www.cpft.nhs.uk Twitter: @CPFT_NHS Facebook: cpftnhs/ YouTube: CPFTvideo LinkedIn: CPFT 8

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Hinchingbrooke Hospital is part of the North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, which also runs Peterborough City and Stamford Hospitals. All our hospitals provide hospital care for patients who require emergency, medical or surgical services. Hospitals are the right place to be when you are in need of specific surgical or medical treatment. However, when your treatment is completed, it is important your stay is not delayed for the following reasons: • S taying in hospital increases your risk of infection, your muscles wasting and could result in loss of independence • S ome people find it harder to return home the longer they stay in hospital due to loss of confidence and worry about being able to manage •B eds are always needed for people who are very unwell and who may be waiting in the

Emergency Department for a bed on a ward to become available • People awaiting surgery, both urgent and nonurgent, may have their operations cancelled if a bed on a ward is not available For all the reasons above, our teams will start to plan your discharge from our hospital almost as soon as you come in. The considerations made in planning your discharge include: • Assessing what your needs might be when you are ready to leave hospital • Talking to relevant colleagues who can help in meeting any additional needs you have (such

as social workers, occupational therapists, physiotherapists or district nurses) • Making arrangements for any equipment or services which need to be in place when you are medically fit to leave hospital • Making sure that your carer is given any information, help or advice that may be needed to aid your recovery. Our staff will work with you, your relatives or your carer, to discuss your discharge with you. It is helpful if we can discuss any concerns you may have at the earliest opportunity. For example, you might be worried about your safety at home, or managing your personal care or domestic arrangements. You may have concerns about your ability to move around at home and need equipment to make this easier. By talking about this sooner rather than later, we can ensure you will have everything you need in place as soon as you are ready to leave hospital. You will be given a predicted date for your discharge, based upon when it is expected your treatment will be completed. All those involved in your care will be aware of this date and will be working towards it with you. Having this date will help us ensure all necessary arrangements for your discharge from hospital are made in time for you being ready to leave. Such arrangements may include: • Having suitable clothing ready to leave hospital, such as sturdy shoes and a coat • Having the key to your property available for you • Making sure there is adequate heating in your home • Making sure there is support in place if you need it from your family members or carer • Ensuring you have transport home. Patients will be expected to arrange their own transport when leaving hospital. Relatives, friends or carers coming to collect you are

welcome to meet you on the ward, or a nurse can escort you to our main reception area to await your lift home. A supply of your current medication will be ordered from the hospital pharmacy and delivered to you in time for you leaving hospital. If you have any questions or concerns about your medication, please ask to speak to the pharmacist who works on your ward, or to a member of the nursing team. We understand that any hospital stay can be stressful, which is why we support you and your relatives/carer as much as we can during your hospital stay. For most patients, being discharged from hospital back to their home is straightforward. Some may need information or advice or may need support from social care or the local council. Some people have ongoing health, care and support needs which require a more detailed assessment. Staff from health and social care will work together to plan and deliver services that support people after their hospital discharge. Sometimes it is necessary to move to an interim care setting while awaiting a home care package or a care home of your choice. It is not possible to stay in hospital until such arrangements are made. The hospital discharge team will arrange any interim care destination for you. If you, or your family or carer, have any questions or worries – or if you don’t understand what is happening at any stage of your hospital stay, please speak to your nurse, doctor or ward manager. They will be happy to discuss any aspects of your care to ensure that you are fully prepared for discharge. After you discharge, if you have any concerns about your condition, please contact your GP Surgery in the first instance. If you have any concerns about your medication, please speak to your local pharmacist. 13

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 14

you may need it. For most people, there’s 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’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. >> 15

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 towards the cost of your registered nursing care. NHSfunded 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 of your own personal budget 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.

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.

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.

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

The Money Advice Service has a guide to using direct payments.

Discuss these options with your social worker or carer to work out which option is best for you.

The pros and cons of taking charge of your personal budget

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

>> 17

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:

What is NHS-funded nurs 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 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 NHSfunded 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

sing care? Self-funding: paying for 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: • y ou 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. Content supplied by:

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 • ask 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. The recommended hourly rate is around £17.00, but this will vary according to where you live. Live-in homecare costs from around £650 a week. It can cost as much as £1,600 a week if you have complex needs. 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 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. >> 19

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.

Care and su

Alternatives to selling your home

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.

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. 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’ where the council temporarily covers the cost of your care and you repay them later. 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 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 • 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 Content supplied by: • Which? Elderly Care • Independent Age 20

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

upport: what’s available 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: • using a care and support agency • hiring a personal assistant •g etting 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.

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: • take over the burden of being an employer – for example, payroll, training, disciplinary issues and insurance • train their care and support workers through national qualifications and service-specific training • replace workers when they’re ill, on holiday or resign • put things right when they go wrong An agency will want to see you and the person looking after you so they can assess your needs. 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 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? • I s 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 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. But if you employ a personal assistant, you have the legal responsibility of an employer. This includes arranging cover for their illness and holidays. Which? Elderly Care has advice on employing private individuals. Get more information on becoming an employer.

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. Marie Curie Nurses can provide practical and emotional support for people near the end of their lives in their own homes.

Complaining about care and support

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

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.

• a Blue Badge parking permit

If you are finding it difficult to make a complaint, find out how an advocate can help you.

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.

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Driving and using

• help with the cost of buying or hiring 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.

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. 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. Discounts on public transport for older people and disabled people Older people and people with disabilities can travel free on local buses anywhere in England between 9.30am and 11pm Monday to Friday, and at any time during the weekend and on bank holidays.

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.

Cars and parking 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

Some authorities offer free travel for longer, and some allow a companion to travel with the pass holder for free.

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.

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.

This lets you park closer to places you wish to visit, such as in marked disabled parking bays.

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.

You may also be able to: • 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 of Kensington and Chelsea, Camden, Westminster and City of London don’t fully operate the Blue Badge scheme. 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.

NHS help with travel and transport costs

Motability scheme

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.

The Motability scheme allows some disabled people receiving a mobility allowance to get a car, powered wheelchair or scooter.

Find out more about the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme and who’s eligible.

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.

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 doorto-door transport for people unable to use normal buses. Some schemes require you to register and may charge a fee. Carers may be able to travel with you for an additional charge.

You can also pay an extra amount of money if you want a more expensive vehicle. Find out more about how the scheme works and who can join.

Editorial content for pages 14-23 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.

Age UK Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Services Age UK Cambridgeshire and Peterborough is your local independent charity working with and for older people across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Our objectives are to help older people to maintain their independence, health and well being by providing support and services that meet individual needs. We recognise that you want a choice in how you are supported and we provide a variety of services to help you keep your independence.

Information & Advice We provide rights based information, which can be used with confidence to make informed decisions and choices, on a range of issues including: income and benefits, housing, health and social care.

Social Connections We aim to reduce social isolation by bringing people together, providing opportunities to meet people and develop friendships. Day Services: We have 6 social clubs located in Cambridge, Huntingdon, March, Chatteris and 2 in Wisbech, providing an opportunity to meet friends and participate in various activities. A hot meal and beverages are provided. Sharing Time: We visit older people in their own homes for company and conversation sharing time with each other to help prevent feelings of loneliness. You will be assigned a one to one volunteer to visit you on a regular basis to build friendship and companionship. Volunteering: We have a whole range of volunteering opportunities, from sharing time volunteers to administration. Our volunteers range in age from 17yrs to 94yrs. Please get in touch to find out more. To find out more about any of our services – call us on: 24

Practical Services Our services offer support to help you remain independent and safe in your own home. Home Help: We can assist with housework including, cleaning, laundry, ironing. Gardening: We can support you with regular garden maintenance to help keep your garden neat and tidy. Handyperson Service: Our aim is to prevent falls and accidents in the home by offering a free Personal Assessment and Home Safety Check. For a charge we can arrange for aids and adaptations to be installed and small jobs to be carried out. There is no obligation to order work through Age UK. Examples of the types of jobs we can do are: • Installing keysafes • Fitting grab rails • Putting up shelves • Fitting blinds/curtains • Tacking down fraying carpets • Changing lightbulbs • Small repairs (gates; locks; changing fuses etc) Community Wardens: Our wardens help people to live in their own homes with support, providing daily contact, reassurance and general help such as small amounts of shopping, collect prescriptions, help to complete forms, liaise with other services on your behalf. NB There is a charge for some of our services.

0300 666 9860

E: infoandadvice@ageukcap.org.uk or visit: www.ageukcap.org.uk

Alzheimer’s Society Cambridgeshire When a loved one with dementia leaves hospital Discharge is the term used when a person leaves hospital. This should only happen once a doctor at the hospital decides that the person is ‘medically fit’. A person with dementia may have complex needs that should be considered before they can be safely discharged. For example, they may need to move into a care home or need adaptations made to their existing home, such as a stairlift. Others may need support in their own home or in the home of a relative or friend. Every hospital has a hospital discharge policy. This is a public document that anyone can ask to see. It should include details of how the hospital staff will arrange the discharge. Plans about the date and time of discharge should be discussed with the person and their carer, if they have one. Ideally these plans will start to be discussed a reasonable period of time before discharge, and will include details about where the person will be living and the care that they will need. Hospital staff must ensure that transport to the person’s home or care home has been arranged. They should also take extra care when making plans to discharge someone on a Friday or during a weekend or a public holiday as it may be difficult to contact homecare workers and GPs on these days. The hospital discharge process should include: ■

■ ■

■

n assessment of the person’s needs and living a environment, with consideration given to the people involved in supporting them – often referred to as their ‘support network’ a written care plan that records these needs system for monitoring and, if necessary, adjusting the a care plan to meet any changes in needs c onfirmation that any required services are in place in time for the discharge – for example, home visits needed to help with personal care, or grab rails in the home to help with support and stability n assessment to see if the person qualifies for NHS a continuing healthcare

More information can be found in the Alzheimer’s Society Fact Sheet No 477, Hospital Care. To download go to alzheimers.org.uk/hospitalcare or call 0300 303 5933 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. In Cambridgeshire, we offer the following support and services. Our Dementia Adviser Service offers information about all aspects of living with dementia and supports people to 26

access services. People with dementia and their carers can contact our Dementia Advisers whenever they need further information or support to find other services. Our Dementia Support Workers offer information and practical guidance to help people understand dementia, cope with day-to-day challenges and prepare for the future. They offer support face to face, over the phone or in writing. Our Carer Information and Support Programme (CrISP) is a series of sessions for carers that provide information about all dementia related topics to support carers in their caring role. These range from information regarding dementia, it’s progression, legal and benefits and relevant support services. Our Activity groups give people affected by dementia the opportunity to take part in structured activities. Our facilitator will encourage and support people to take part and our groups provide an opportunity to relax and socialise. We run Dementia Cafés where people can just pop in and receive information about living with dementia. Available locally, cafes are an informal and comfortable environment where people with dementia and their carers can relax, socialise and meet other people in a similar situation. Our Dementia Friends Programme is our national initiative to improve people’s understanding of dementia and its effects. In our hour long information session, a Dementia Friend will learn a little bit more about what it is like to live with dementia and will be encouraged to turn that understanding into action. To book your place on a local information session, visit www.dementiafriends.org.uk. Dementia Action Alliance (DAA) is our movement that aims to bring about society-wide response to dementia. We encourage organisations to create a dementia friendly community, whether it be a city, town or village, where people with dementia will feel included and involved, and have choice and control over their day-to-day lives. For more information about joining the DAA, email: dementiaactionalliance@alzheimers.org.uk. Volunteering with the Alzheimer’s Society provides a wealth of benefits including meeting new people and learning new skills. By volunteering, you can get involved in the Society’s wide range of work such as research, campaigning, fundraising and local services. For more information on current volunteering opportunities in Cambridgeshire, email volscambridgeshire@alzheimers.org.uk or visit www.alzheimers.org.uk/volunteer.

Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Cafés in Cambridgeshire Dementia Café in Wisbech First Monday of the month (except Bank Holidays) at the Robert Hall Centre, St Augustines Road, Wisbech PE13 3AH from 10am to 12noon.

Dementia Café in March

First Tuesday of the month at St Peter’s Church Hall, 36 High Street, March PE15 9JR from 10am to 12.00noon.

Dementia Café in Ramsey First Wednesday of the month at the Rainbow Surgery, Stocking Fen Road, Ramsey PE26 1SA from 10am to 12.00noon.

Dementia Café in St Ives

Third Tuesday of the month at St Ives Free Church (United Reformed), Market Hill, St Ives PE27 5AL from 10am to 12.00noon.

Dementia Café in South Cambridge (Great Shelford)

You can find out more information about our support services in Cambridgeshire, by calling 01954 250322, emailing cambridgeshire@alzheimers.org.uk or by visiting www.alzheimers.org.uk.

Third Thursday of the month at the David Rayner Centre, Scotsdales Garden Centre, Great Shelford, Cambridge CB22 5JT from 10am to 12.00noon.

Dementia Café in Ely

Fourth Tuesday of the month at the Cathedral Centre, Palace Green, Ely CB7 4AW from 10am to 12.00noon. If you would like more information about any of our Dementia Cafés in Cambridgeshire, please call our local office on 01954 250322 or email cambridgeshire@ alzheimers.org.uk.

Taking on dementia together 27 27

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

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.

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/

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.

GP Top tips

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

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 ● 8

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.

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

Mental health Top tips

If you are concerned about your mental health you should first visit your GP.

Outstanding Good ● Requires improvement ● Inadequate ●

Your GP will assess you and offer appropriate advice or treatment. They can refer you to a psychological treatment service or a specialist mental health service for further advice or treatment.

Mental health services are free on the NHS but you will usually need a GP referral. If you don’t want to go to your GP you may also have the option of self-referral. This means you can go directly to a professional therapist. The NHS Choices website has a searchable directory of services which you can use to find a service near you.

If you are referred to a specialist mental health service, you can ask which other providers offer the same service in your local area and make a choice.

CQC rates mental health providers to help people make choices about where they get treatment. They will use a four-point scale:

CQC uses information from the public and holds listening events across the country where people can talk with inspectors about their experience of services.

You can look at our inspection reports and ratings for mental health services or share your experiences of care (good or bad) by visiting www.cqc.org.uk

Telephone: 03000 616161 • Web: www.cqc.org.uk /CareQualityCommission

@CareQualityComm

In April CQC launched its new-style inspection reports for mental health providers – looking at five key areas of Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-Led – you can compare reports on CQC’s website to help choose a provider.

Useful contacts A

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 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

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 Cambridgeshire & Peterborough 0300 666 9860 2 Victoria Street, Chatteris, Cambs, PE16 6AP I www.ageuk.org.uk/cambridgeshireandpeterborough/ Alzheimer’s Society – Cambridgeshire 01954 250322 113A King Street, Rampton, Cambridgeshire CB24 8QD I www.alzheimers.org.uk I cambridgeshire@alzheimers.org.uk

C Cambridge & District Citizens Advice 01223 222660 66 Devonshire Road, Cambridge CB1 2BL I www.cambridgecab.org.uk I caba@cambridgecab.org.uk Cambridge Dial-a-Ride 01223 506335 A non-profit organisation which provides local transport services that are safe, affordable, and accessible to community groups and to individuals who have difficulty in accessing public transport. Unit B, Rene Court, 1 Coldhams Road, Cambridge CB1 3EW I www.cambridgedialaride.org.uk I camdar05@hotmail.co.uk 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

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

111

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 www.dwp.gov.uk/about-dwp/customerdelivery/thepension-service

D 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

OCTAGON DE S IG N & M A R K ET 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 Cambridgeshire is published by Octagon Design and Marketing Ltd with editorial contributions from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, the CQC, Age UK, 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.

NHS Hospitals and services in Cambridgeshire The Lindens, 86 Lincoln Road, Peterborough PE1 2SN

Wisbech

Stamford

Downham Market

Peterborough

March

Chatteris

2 Victoria Street, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire PE16 6AP

Cambridgeshire Services Tel: (01954) 250322 Cambridgeshire@alzheimers.org.uk

Tel: 0300 666 9860

Ely Mildenhall

Hinchingbrooke Hospital, Parkway, Hinchingbrooke, Huntingdon PE29 6NT Tel: (01480) 416416

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

St Neots

NHS Foundation Trust

Milton

Cambridge

Newmarket Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

NHS Foundation Trust

Union House, 37 Union Lane, Chesterton, Cambridge CB4 1PR

Elizabeth House, Fulbourn Hospital, Fulbourn, Cambridge CB21 5EF

Tel: (01223) 533300

Tel: (01223) 726789

Biggleswade

Haverhill Saffron Walden Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

Brookfields Hospital, Mill Road, Cambridge CB1 3DF

Ida Darwin Site, Fulbourn, Cambridge CB1 5EE

Tel: (01223) 723194

Tel: (01223) 726789

NHS Foundation Trust

Cherry Trees Centre St Matthews Street, Cambridge, CB1 2LT

NHS Foundation Trust

The locations on the map indicate where services operate out of.

Woodlands Care Centre 109 BEDS ALL ENSUITE ~ CARER FOR RESIDENTIAL, NURSING, RESIDENTIAL DEMENTIA AND NURSING DEMENTIA

We at the Woodlands are welcoming, warm and friendly and we will make you feel at home. Safe, secure, caring, effective, responsive and well led. Safe without being too restricted. The home interior is colourful, homely and stylish with communal spaces arranged in a way that encourages social activity. The outdoor space is set up for occupation and relaxation. The home is an important part of the broader community and links with the local community. Staff are connected, sensitive and have natural empathy.

Jenny Boulton, Manager Woodlands Care Centre, Hawkins Road, Cambridge CB4 2RD

Tel: 01223 324444

Part of the RCH group 33

24-HOUR LIVE IN AND BLOCK CARE

Class Care HOME CA RE & DOMESTIC SERVICES

01223 864 066 www.aclasscare.co.uk A Class Care is an award nominated care agency that offers 24-hour Live In and Block Care. We support our clients with keeping their independence and remaining in their own homes. It is our personal mission to treat our clients as if they were our own parents – with care, dignity, compassion and respect. We ensure that our clients are able to remain safely and securely within their familiar surroundings. Our services include: •2 -5 plus hours of block care • Hourly care •2 4-hour support including • Short term • Waking night care night time care Areas of specialism • Palliative care • Personal care • Medication management

• Respite care • Elderly care • Dementia care

• General • Personal housekeeping assistant service • Chaperone service

Care services that meet all your or your fa mily’s personal needs

• Bespoke Home Care Service • 15 years’ experience • NVQ 3 and 4 qualified • Enhanced DBS checked & fully insured • Personal Care • Sitting Service • Companionship • Overnight Stays • Assistance with correspondence • Social outings • Domestic Care (Cleaning, Cooking, Shopping) We regret we can only travel to PE26, PE27 & PE28 areas.

Please call on: 07547 461957 or 01487 823643 or email: daisychaincc@hotmail.com