Question 1

What kind of providers appear in this Hampshire listing?

Accepted Answer

The collection brings together three hundred and sixty one providers registered to deliver care in people's own homes across the county. Between them they cover companionship and help around the house, personal care such as washing, dressing and continence support, medication prompting, and more intensive packages including several visits a day. Some are registered to support people living with dementia, physical disability or a learning disability, and the individual profiles set out what each is approved to provide. Checking that registration before making contact saves a good deal of wasted effort.

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

Home care is delivered in visits, so the person keeps their own house, routine and neighbourhood, and pays only for the hours arranged. A residential care home provides accommodation with personal care available throughout the day and night, while a nursing home adds clinical care from a registered nurse who is always on site. Home care suits people whose needs are predictable and can be met at set times, and it can often be increased as circumstances change. Where someone needs support that cannot wait for the next scheduled visit, a residential setting usually becomes the safer option.

Question 3

What should I ask an agency before arranging visits?

Accepted Answer

Ask how many different care workers would attend over a fortnight and how the agency protects continuity when someone is ill or on holiday. Ask what training staff receive for the particular condition involved, who supervises them and how often that supervision happens. Ask how visits are logged, how a missed or late call is detected, and who a family member can reach outside office hours. Finally ask for the charges in writing, covering evenings, weekends, bank holidays and any travel costs.

Question 4

How is a care needs assessment arranged in Hampshire?

Accepted Answer

Get in touch with the adult social care team at Hampshire County Council and ask for an assessment, which the person themselves, a relative or a professional such as a GP can request. The assessment costs nothing and is not restricted by income or savings. An assessor will go through daily routines, health conditions, mobility and the risks of coping without help, and it is worth having someone present who sees the person on ordinary days rather than good ones. The resulting document records what support is needed and underpins any funding decision that follows.

Question 5

Can Hampshire County Council contribute towards the cost of home care?

Accepted Answer

It can, once the care needs assessment has confirmed that the person meets the national eligibility criteria. A financial assessment then compares capital and income against the published thresholds to work out what the council pays and what the person contributes. Because the value of a property someone still lives in is disregarded for care delivered at home, more people qualify for help than expect to. Hampshire County Council can also offer a direct payment, which lets the person arrange their own provider instead of using one the council commissions.

Question 6

How soon should a family start looking for home care?

Accepted Answer

Begin as soon as the need becomes clear, because the better regarded agencies in busier parts of the county are frequently at capacity and cannot start immediately. Allowing two or three weeks leaves room to speak to more than one provider, read inspection reports properly and agree a schedule that genuinely fits rather than accepting whatever slots remain. Where a hospital discharge is driving the timing, ask the discharge team about short term reablement support to bridge the gap. Starting early also allows a package to begin modestly and grow, which most people find easier to accept than a sudden change.

Home Care in Hampshire

366 home care in Hampshire (showing 351–366)