Question 1

How do I arrange a care needs assessment in Ilford?

Accepted Answer

Get in touch with the adult social care team at London Borough of Redbridge, the authority responsible for assessments covering Ilford, and explain what has become difficult at home. The assessment costs nothing and is open to anyone who appears to need care and support, whatever their savings. A social care worker will talk through daily routines, health, mobility and safety, then set down what support is needed. Ask for a copy of the written outcome, since agencies will want to see it when care is arranged.

Question 2

Will London Borough of Redbridge pay for care at home in Ilford?

Accepted Answer

London Borough of Redbridge may fund some or all of the support once an assessment has established what is needed. A financial assessment then measures income, savings and capital against the national thresholds to decide the person's own contribution. Where the authority funds care, a direct payment can be requested so the family chooses the agency instead of accepting an allocated one. If the needs are mainly clinical, NHS continuing healthcare may meet the cost in full.

Question 3

Which home care agencies in Ilford appear on Care Assura?

Accepted Answer

Ninety five home care agencies covering Ilford are listed on Care Assura, including Dennyson Care Limited, My Homecare Redbridge, RSM Care Services, Oakfield Lodge, Homely Supported Living Ltd, Felix Health and Chosen Care Group Limited. Each profile shows the provider type and the most recent Care Quality Commission rating where one has been published. Forty five are rated Good, two require improvement and forty eight are not yet rated. The profiles are the quickest route to a shortlist worth telephoning.

Question 4

How does home care differ from a care home or a nursing home?

Accepted Answer

Home care sends trained carers to a person's own address for visits of an agreed length, so the household, the routine and the surroundings stay the same. A residential care home offers a room with support available through the day for washing, dressing, meals and moving about safely. A nursing home provides that same support with registered nurses on duty at every hour for clinical needs. Every provider listed on this page is a home care agency, and the assessment will show when visits are no longer enough.

Question 5

How soon should I start looking for home care in Ilford?

Accepted Answer

Home care can usually be organised more quickly than a move into a care home, so a few weeks of notice is often sufficient. Even so, the better regarded agencies fill their rounds and may have no capacity at the busiest times, particularly early morning and bedtime calls. If care is needed on leaving hospital, the discharge team will set up an initial package, and you are free to change agency later if it does not suit. Requesting the assessment early gives you much more influence over who comes.

Question 6

What should I ask an agency in Ilford before care starts?

Accepted Answer

Ask how the rota works, how many carers will be involved and whether visits are timed around the person rather than the round. Ask how lateness, sickness and holidays are covered, and how the office keeps families informed. Check the training staff receive for the specific needs involved, how medicines are recorded and who is contactable outside office hours. Ask for a sample care plan and the complaints procedure, then judge how openly the questions are answered.

Home Care in Ilford

97 home care in Ilford (showing 51–97)