Question 1

How do I arrange a care needs assessment in Solihull?

Accepted Answer

Ask the adult social care team at Birmingham City Council for a care needs assessment. It is free and open to anyone who appears to need care, whatever their income or savings. A social worker will discuss the daily routine, mobility, memory, medication and the help already provided, usually at home or before a hospital discharge. The written outcome records what support is required and forms the basis of any support plan.

Question 2

Will Birmingham City Council help with the cost of care at home?

Accepted Answer

It may, where the needs assessment identifies eligible needs and the financial assessment shows income and capital below the national thresholds. The value of the property a person lives in is not counted while care is delivered there. Anyone assessed as able to pay in full can still ask the council to arrange the care, and a direct payment allows a person to choose their own agency. Where the council contributes, an assessed amount is paid from income.

Question 3

Which home care agencies in Solihull are listed on this page?

Accepted Answer

Fifty eight agencies registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide personal care in people's own homes appear here. Unique Senior Care is rated Outstanding, while Caremark Solihull, Bluebird Care, Orion Care Services, Sandant Care and Voyage are among those rated Good. Eighteen providers have registered recently and carry no published rating. Each profile shows the provider type and the current CQC position.

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

Home care brings trained carers to the person at agreed times, leaving them in their own home with their own routine. A care home provides accommodation with personal care and staff on site at all times, while a nursing home adds a registered nurse on duty around the clock. The providers on this page deliver care at home rather than accommodation. Where visits can no longer keep someone safe through the night, comparing the two is sensible.

Question 5

How far ahead should we start arranging care?

Accepted Answer

Start once the hard parts of the day have become predictable rather than occasional, since agency capacity varies by area and by time of day. Assessment, contracting and the first care plan meeting usually take a fortnight or more between them. Beginning early leaves room to trial one provider and change if the fit is wrong. Reading the published reports in advance shortens every conversation that follows.

Question 6

What should I ask an agency before the first visit?

Accepted Answer

Ask how many different carers would visit over a fortnight and whether the same team covers weekends and bank holidays. Ask about the minimum visit length, how lateness is communicated and who answers the telephone out of hours. Find out how staff are trained for the specific need involved, whether that is dementia, moving and handling or medication support. Ask to see a sample care plan and confirm when it would first be reviewed.

Home Care in Solihull

58 home care in Solihull (showing 51–58)