Home Care in Hastings

Hastings has 7 CQC registered home care agencies. 5 are rated Good, 1 Requires improvement, and 1 has not yet been rated. 5 of the 7 were last inspected more than three years ago.

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

What home care in Hastings involves and what to look for

Support that comes to the person

Home care means paid workers visiting someone in their own home to help with washing, dressing, medication, meals and whatever else the day requires. The pattern matters as much as the total: four short calls a day suits a person who needs prompting at fixed points, whereas one longer visit suits someone who needs sustained help with a bath and a meal. Work out the shape of the week first, because that is what any agency will quote against and what makes comparison between them possible.

Judging the providers

Four of the six providers here are rated Good, one has been told it requires improvement, and one has not yet been inspected. Open the report behind each rating rather than stopping at the word. For home care, pay particular attention to what inspectors recorded about timekeeping, missed calls, continuity of staff and how care plans are followed, since those are the things families notice week to week. Where improvement has been required, the report names exactly what was found. For the provider awaiting a first inspection, how the manager answers direct questions about rotas and cover matters considerably more.

The questions that separate agencies

Ask how many different care workers would visit over a typical fortnight, because continuity affects the experience more than almost anything else. Find out what happens when a regular worker is ill or on leave, how the family is told if a visit will run late, and who can be telephoned outside office hours. Carrianne Care, Quality Homecare, Sapphire Home Care and the other providers listed each carry a profile here with registration details and current rating.

Getting an assessment and arranging the funding

Requesting an assessment

Funded support begins with a care needs assessment, carried out by East Sussex County Council for adults living in this area. It can be requested by the person needing care, by a relative or friend acting on their behalf, or by a professional such as a general practitioner or a hospital discharge team, and it is free whatever the household income. The assessment records what someone manages independently and where help would make a difference, and it is the document that sets out how much support is needed each week.

Costs and contributions

Where eligible needs are identified, a financial assessment establishes the council's contribution and the person's own. Savings and capital above the national threshold ordinarily mean paying privately, with the rate agreed directly with the agency. Home care is charged by the hour or by the visit, and visit length matters as much as the hourly figure, since a very short call achieves far less than a half hour one. Ask how travel time is treated, what happens if a visit overruns, and whether evening or weekend calls cost more.

Direct payments

A council contribution can be taken as a direct payment, which lets the family choose the agency rather than accepting one the council commissions. It brings more administration but considerably more say over who comes through the door and when.

Related searches

• Care Homes in Hastings
• Nursing Homes in Hastings

Home Care near Hastings

• St Leonards On Sea
• Bexhill On Sea
• Rye