Home Care in Stourbridge

Stourbridge has 9 CQC registered home care agencies. 2 are rated Good, 1 Outstanding, and 6 have not yet been rated. 2 of the 9 were last inspected more than three years ago.

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

Arranging and Funding Care at Home in Stourbridge

The money and the paperwork are usually settled before a single carer arrives, and knowing how that part works makes choosing between the nine agencies covering Stourbridge considerably less daunting.

Asking for a Care Needs Assessment

Anyone who appears to need care and support can ask for a free assessment, whatever their savings. It looks at the ordinary business of the day, from washing and dressing to eating, moving about safely, managing medication and keeping in touch with people, and it produces a written record of eligible needs. Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council Adult Social Care is responsible for carrying out that assessment and for arranging funded support where a person is eligible, and the request may come from the individual, a relative acting for them, or a hospital team planning a discharge. Anyone already doing most of the caring can ask for a separate carer's assessment of their own.

What the Council Can Contribute

A financial assessment follows, considering income and savings. For care delivered at home the value of the property the person lives in is left out of that calculation, which often makes support easier to obtain than it is for a residential move. Where capital falls below the national upper threshold the council contributes towards the cost while the person pays an assessed amount from income. Some people take that funding as a direct payment and choose their own agency, which widens the field.

How Agencies Charge

Charges are set by the hour or by the visit, usually at a higher rate at weekends and on bank holidays, and they differ from agency to agency. Ask what a half hour call actually costs once minimum charges and travel are counted, how much notice is needed to change or cancel a visit, and how often rates are reviewed. Have those answers in writing before care begins.

Choosing a Home Care Agency in Stourbridge

What the Ratings Do and Do Not Show

Only three of the nine agencies here carry a published judgement, one Outstanding and two Good, so for most of the list there is no inspection evidence to weigh. Where a report exists, note its date and read the individual key questions rather than the headline word alone. Where none exists, ask the manager directly how long the agency has operated, how staff are recruited and trained, and whether they can put you in touch with existing clients.

Reliability and the Right Fit

Reliability is what families end up judging an agency on. Ask how many different carers a person would see in a typical week, how sickness and holidays are covered, what happens when a carer runs late and whether you are told. Check that the times you need can genuinely be staffed, particularly early mornings, evenings and weekends, and ask whether the agency takes on more demanding work such as dementia support, hoisting or end of life care.

Related searches

• Care Homes in Stourbridge
• Nursing Homes in Stourbridge

Home Care near Stourbridge

• Brierley Hill
• Kingswinford
• Halesowen
• Dudley
• Rowley Regis
• Kidderminster
• Oldbury
• Tipton
• Smethwick
• Bilston