Home Care in South Croydon

South Croydon has 19 CQC registered home care agencies. 10 are rated Good, 3 Requires improvement, and 6 have not yet been rated. 10 of the 19 were last inspected more than three years ago.

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

Planning and paying for care in South Croydon

Care at home is charged by time rather than by the week, which makes it flexible and, to begin with, harder to budget for. The order that helps is to establish what is needed in writing, then to work out who pays for it.

The assessment that starts everything

Any adult who appears to need care and support can ask for a free assessment, whatever their income or savings. A practitioner considers getting up and dressed, moving safely about the house, medication, meals, continence and isolation, then records how much support is required and at what hours. That written outcome is what converts a general worry into a schedule of visits. Request it from London Borough of Croydon adult social care, and ask for a carer's assessment in your own right if you have been providing the support until now.

Working out the contribution

A financial assessment compares capital and income with national thresholds. Where care is given in a person's own home, the value of that home is disregarded as capital, which brings help within reach for more households than expect it. Anyone eligible may take a direct payment and buy care from the agency they prefer rather than one allocated to them. Ask for the calculation in writing so it can be checked.

Rates, minimum visits and extras

Hourly rates vary between agencies and by the hour of the day, with evenings, weekends and bank holidays often priced separately. Ask what the shortest visit is, whether travel time is billed, and what happens if a call is cancelled at short notice. Ask how the rate alters when two carers are required. A low headline figure tied to very brief visits can prove poorer value than a higher one that buys proper time.

Choosing an agency and what to check

What the grades show

Ten of these agencies hold Good, meaning inspectors found them safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led when they last looked. Three carry Requires Improvement, which calls for the report rather than an immediate exclusion, since the nature of a shortfall matters far more than the label. Six have no published rating, which is common among newer agencies and not a criticism in itself, though it does mean asking more questions and requesting references.

The question of who arrives

Continuity is what separates one agency from another in practice. Ask how many different carers would visit in a fortnight, how the rota is put together, and whether families are told in advance when the usual carer is away. Ask who telephones if somebody is running late. A settled team that knows the household is worth a great deal more than a low hourly rate.

Plans, training and notice

Ask how the care plan is written, who signs it off and how often it is reviewed with the family. Ask what training carers receive in medication, in moving and handling, and in any condition that matters at home. Ask how a complaint is handled and what came of the last one. Ask what notice either side must give, because it should be simple to change your mind.

Related searches

• Care Homes in South Croydon
• Nursing Homes in South Croydon

Home Care near South Croydon

• Croydon
• Wallington
• Thornton Heath
• Carshalton
• Coulsdon
• Beckenham
• Caterham
• Sutton
• Mitcham
• Morden