Question 1

Which providers are covered in this Birmingham listing?

Accepted Answer

Three hundred and fourteen providers appear here, each registered with the Care Quality Commission to deliver care in people's own homes. Between them they cover companionship and practical help, personal care such as washing, dressing and continence support, medication prompting, and packages built around several visits a day. Some are registered to support people living with dementia, physical disability or a learning disability. The registration detail on each profile shows exactly what that agency is approved to provide.

Question 2

How does care at home compare with a care home or a nursing home?

Accepted Answer

Home care is arranged in visits, so the person stays in their own house and neighbourhood and pays only for the hours agreed. A residential care home offers accommodation with personal care available throughout the day and night, and a nursing home adds clinical care from a registered nurse who is always on site. Care at home works well where needs are predictable and can be met at set times, and the package can usually be increased as things change. When someone needs help that cannot wait until the next scheduled call, a residential setting tends to become the safer choice.

Question 3

What should I ask an agency before care starts?

Accepted Answer

Ask how many different care workers would attend over a fortnight and how continuity is protected when someone is off sick or on leave. Ask what training staff have for the particular condition involved, who supervises them in the field, and how often that supervision takes place. Ask how visits are logged, how the office knows a call has been missed, and who a relative can reach outside working hours. Finally ask for charges in writing, including evenings, weekends, bank holidays and any travel costs.

Question 4

How is a care needs assessment arranged in Birmingham?

Accepted Answer

Contact the adult social care team at Birmingham City Council and ask for an assessment, which can be requested by the person themselves, by a relative, or by a professional such as a GP or hospital discharge team. It costs nothing and there is no means test to qualify for one. The assessor will talk through daily routines, health conditions, mobility and the risks of coping alone, so it is worth having somebody present who sees the person on ordinary days. The written outcome becomes the basis of any funding decision that follows.

Question 5

Can Birmingham City Council help pay for care at home?

Accepted Answer

It can, once a care needs assessment has confirmed that the person meets the national eligibility criteria. A financial assessment then sets capital and income against the published thresholds to establish what the council pays and what the person contributes. Because a property the person still lives in is disregarded when care is delivered at home, support is available to more people than commonly assume they will qualify. Birmingham City Council can also arrange a direct payment so the person chooses their own provider.

Question 6

How far ahead should home care be organised?

Accepted Answer

Start as soon as the need is clear, because agencies with good reputations in busier parts of the city are often at capacity and cannot take on new packages immediately. Two or three weeks gives room to speak with more than one provider, read inspection reports properly and agree a visit schedule that actually suits rather than taking whatever slots are left. Where a hospital discharge is driving the timing, ask about short term reablement support to bridge the gap. Beginning early also allows care to start small and build, which most people accept more readily than a sudden change.

Home Care in Birmingham

319 home care in Birmingham (showing 301–319)