Frequently asked questions
We know that choosing care for yourself or someone you love raises a lot of questions.
Here you’ll find straight answers to the ones we hear most often. If something isn’t covered here, just give us a call or send a message. There are no silly questions, and we’d rather you asked than wondered.
High-quality private home care in the UK costs between £30.00 and £40.00 per hour. The cost depends upon the client care complexity and the geographical location of their home.
Councils may pay for home care that involves personal care, depending on where the person requiring care lives and their financial means to afford to pay for their own care.
Happiest at Home, understands that this can be complicated, so we have written a comprehensive guide on funding home care, ‘7 essential things you must understand before buying home care’ that you can download below.
The guide covers the difference between funding criteria in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It also explains how to apply for funding from your Local Authority and the type of care choices that you have, such as commissioned care, or Direct Payments.
If you are eligible for Local Authority funding to pay for your care package, then taking this as a Direct Payment means that you can choose your own care provider.
You can opt for Managed Direct Payments where the funding itself and invoice payments are managed by a third party on your behalf, or Direct Payments where you get a bank account that your money is paid into and you pay the provider yourself.
Happiest at Home, has a simple onboarding process:-
1. Arrange a Teams meeting or telephone call with one of our specialist client managers. Discuss your situation and wants and needs, so that we understand your perfect care outcome.
2. We will match you with a perfect local CarePal (We call or Care and Support workers CarePals). –
3. We send you profiles, so that you can choose who you would like to meet to be your perfect match.
4. You choose. When you select the profiles, we arrange a meet and greet.
5. Give us the Go Ahead – we arrange the start date and compliance paperwork.
Congratulations its a match! – Your care package starts.
Home care and support can include Personal Care, House Work, Medication Prompts, Community Access in the CarePals car, Companionship, Disability and Regular Respite support. Happiest at Home discuss your wants and needs, to understand what you want to achieve in your perfect care and support package.
This is what we call Person Centred Care and Support.
Here at Happiest at Home, we pride ourselves on very high quality one to one care, meaning that you get the same CarePal(s) each and every visit. This way you can build trust and repour with your dedicated CarePal. You never pay a penny until you have helped to select your perfect CarePal and you have received your first care visits.
Other things you should be asking providers about:-
1. What services do they provide? Are there any specific services you don’t provide?
2. Do you currently provide care for people with similar needs to mine?
3. Will you carry out an assessment of my wants and needs and draw up a personalised care plan?
4. How will you ensure the carers follow the plan?
5. How will you match the most suitable carer(s) to my needs?
6. Will I always see the same carers? If I’m incompatible with a carer, can I request a different person?
7. Will carer keep records of the care that has been given? Some agencies like Happiest at Home, keep records online so family members can monitor promptness of care calls and what has been done.
8. Can you provide care at times I want? Do these times sometimes change because of multiple daily problems, such as staff sickness and high staff turnover? (Very big warning sign!!)
9. What happens in the event of a medical emergency? Will the carer stay with me until suitable help comes?
10. Will I have to pay a deposit or make any payments in advance? (Very big warning sign!!)
1. What services do they provide? Are there any specific services you don’t provide?
2. Do you currently provide care for people with similar needs to mine?
3. Will you carry out an assessment of my wants and needs and draw up a personalised care plan?
4. How will you ensure the carers follow the plan?
5. How will you match the most suitable carer(s) to my needs?
6. Will I always see the same carers? If I’m incompatible with a carer, can I request a different person?
7. Will carer keep records of the care that has been given? Some agencies like Happiest at Home, keep records online so family members can monitor promptness of care calls and what has been done.
8. Can you provide care at times I want? Do these times sometimes change because of multiple daily problems, such as staff sickness and high staff turnover? (Very big warning sign!!)
9. What happens in the event of a medical emergency? Will the carer stay with me until suitable help comes?
10. Will I have to pay a deposit or make any payments in advance? (Very big warning sign!!)
Happiest at Home can provide long-term care and support after hospital discharge to anyone who would benefit from:-
1. Minimum call duration of 3 hours per visit.
2. Minimum care package of 9 hours per week.
3. Seeing the same CarePal(s) each and every visit.
Happiest at Home, can provide long term care and support to dementia sufferers to anyone who would benefit from:-
1. Minimum call duration of 3 hours per visit.
2. Minimum care package of 9 hours per week.
3. Seeing the same CarePal(s) each and every visit.
Home Care is better for people who have some mental capacity and have some self sufficiency.
Care Homes are better for people who have reduced capacity and self sufficiency.
Live In Care is available, where a carer moves into the client’s house with them for extended periods. This is a good option where a client has a strong desire to remain in their own home. It is especially cost effective where a couple both require some care.