Question 1

Which home care agencies in Hampshire appear on this page?

Accepted Answer

Three hundred and sixty one agencies registered with the Care Quality Commission to deliver personal care in Hampshire are listed here. The list mixes national providers such as Home Instead Central Hampshire with independent offices covering a single town or district. Every entry opens onto a profile carrying the provider details and the current rating where one has been awarded. Comparing them side by side is considerably quicker than telephoning offices in turn.

Question 2

What is the difference between a care home and a nursing home?

Accepted Answer

A care home offers accommodation, meals and personal support on a single site, with staff on duty day and night. A nursing home provides the same, and additionally employs registered nurses so that clinical needs such as complex wounds or unstable long term conditions can be met on the premises. Home care is different again, with carers coming to an ordinary house for agreed calls while the person keeps their own home. All three are regulated by the Care Quality Commission under different registered activities.

Question 3

What should I ask an agency before care begins?

Accepted Answer

Start with who will actually be visiting, how settled that group of carers is likely to be, and what happens when a regular carer is away. Ask how medication is recorded and checked, how the care plan is agreed in writing and how quickly it can be altered. Request a complete breakdown of charges, including weekend and bank holiday rates, travel and notice periods. Close by asking how complaints are handled, then read the answers against the latest inspection report.

Question 4

How do I arrange a care needs assessment in Hampshire?

Accepted Answer

Ask Hampshire County Council adult social care for an assessment, which can normally be requested online or by telephone. The entitlement applies to anyone who appears to need care and support, and there is no charge for the assessment itself. An assessor will go through everyday tasks, risks around the home and the help family already provides. The written outcome sets out eligible needs and is the gateway to any funded support.

Question 5

Can Hampshire County Council pay for home care?

Accepted Answer

It can contribute, though what is paid depends on a financial assessment as well as the needs assessment. The council compares income and capital with national thresholds and calculates the personal contribution from there. Where funding is agreed, the council may arrange the care itself or offer a direct payment so the family selects an agency independently. Anyone whose needs are chiefly medical should also ask about NHS continuing healthcare, which follows a separate route.

Question 6

How far ahead should we begin looking for home care?

Accepted Answer

Several weeks is a comfortable lead time, since the assessment, the financial checks and the search for capacity rarely happen at once. Early morning and teatime calls are the first to be taken, so approach a handful of agencies rather than pinning hopes on one. When a hospital discharge is driving the timing, tell the ward team and the council straight away because those cases follow a faster process. An early start also leaves room to change agency if the first arrangement does not settle.

Home Care in Hampshire

366 home care in Hampshire (showing 351–366)