Home Care in Beckenham

Beckenham has 9 CQC registered home care agencies. 5 are rated Good, 1 Outstanding, 2 Requires improvement, and 1 has not yet been rated. 6 of the 9 were last inspected more than three years ago.

Source: Care Quality Commission register, kept up to date as ratings change.

Setting up funded support at home in Beckenham

The assessment of need

Anyone who appears to require care and support can ask for a free assessment, whatever their savings. For care at home the assessment concentrates on practical daily tasks and on the hours when help matters most, covering washing, dressing, meals, medicines and moving safely about the house. It should also consider equipment and small adaptations, which sometimes reduce the number of visits needed. A relative providing regular unpaid care can request a separate carer assessment.

Who pays for care at home

Where needs are eligible, a financial assessment sets the contribution. Home care is treated differently from a care home place, because the value of the house someone lives in is not counted while care is delivered there. Savings above the national threshold usually mean paying privately, while people below it receive help towards the cost. Assessments and funded packages are arranged through the London Borough of Bromley adult social care team. Ask about a direct payment if you would rather choose the agency yourself.

How charges work

Home care is normally billed by the hour or by the visit, with higher rates at weekends, on bank holidays and overnight. Several short calls a day mount up faster than an hourly rate suggests, so work out the weekly total before comparing agencies. Ask for a written rate card and ask what notice is required to change or cancel a visit.

Choosing an agency in Beckenham and what to check

Reading the inspection picture

Five of the nine providers listed hold a Good rating and one, SEL Mind Bromley MindCare, is rated Outstanding, while two are at Requires Improvement and one has no rating yet. For home care, read the safe and responsive sections most closely, since late or missed calls and problems with medicines are what most often unsettle a household. Where an agency has been marked down, check whether it has been inspected since and what changed.

Continuity is the real test

Ask how many different care workers would come through the door in a typical week, whether the same people cover weekends, and what happens when someone is off sick. Ask whether visit times are fixed or offered as a window, and ask to see a rota in advance. For anyone with memory difficulties, a small familiar team matters more than anything else on offer.

Checks before you commit

Ask what training staff have completed for the tasks actually needed, whether that is moving and handling, catheter care or supporting someone living with dementia. Ask how visits are recorded and whether relatives at a distance can see the notes. Ask who answers the telephone on a Sunday evening and how quickly a missed call is noticed and covered.

Related searches

• Nursing Homes in Beckenham

Home Care near Beckenham

• Bromley
• Thornton Heath
• Croydon
• Chislehurst
• South Croydon
• Orpington
• Sidcup
• Mitcham
• Wallington
• Welling