Home Care in Wigston

Wigston has 7 CQC registered home care agencies. 4 are rated Good, and 3 have not yet been rated. 2 of the 7 were last inspected more than three years ago.

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

What home care in Wigston involves and what to look for

Support at home is measured in visits rather than beds, and that single difference changes almost everything about how it is arranged and paid for. A visit covers things like help with washing and dressing, prompting medication, preparing a meal, shopping or simply keeping an eye on somebody. The tasks are much the same from one agency to the next; what varies is whether the same carers come and whether they arrive when they said they would.

What the ratings show

Melton Care Services Limited, Waterlees Supported Living Service and Helping Hands Wigston are among the providers rated Good, while Ubertas Care Homes Limited has not yet been rated. Where a report exists, read the sections on staffing and on leadership, because those bear most directly on whether visits happen as promised and whether problems get dealt with. Where no rating has been published, ask instead how long the registered manager has been in post, how long the carers have been with the agency, and whether you can speak to an existing client.

Questions worth asking before you commit

Ask how many different carers would normally attend and what the agency does when the regular one is away. Ask about the minimum visit length, whether travel time is charged, and how much notice is needed to change or cancel a visit. Check who takes responsibility for medication, how care notes are recorded and shared with the family, and who you would ring late in the evening if something went wrong.

Getting an assessment and arranging the funding

The number of hours and the question of who pays are both settled before a provider is chosen.

Requesting a care needs assessment

You can ask for an assessment on your own behalf or for a relative who consents, and the right to one does not depend on income or savings. The assessor looks at washing, dressing, eating, medication, mobility, continence and how safe the home is, then sets out in writing how much support is needed and at what times. Ask for a copy of the plan, because a provider will want to see it. If a hospital discharge is setting the pace, say so, as assessments can be brought forward.

Who pays, and how much

Assessments and funded support in Wigston are handled by Leicestershire County Council Adult Social Care, which carries out a financial assessment alongside the needs assessment to establish the household contribution. Income and savings are taken into account, but for care delivered at home the value of the property is not, which is a significant difference from a residential placement. Where support is funded it may be commissioned directly or paid as a direct payment, letting the household pick its own agency. Hourly rates vary, so ask each provider for its rate in writing and whether evenings, weekends and bank holidays are charged differently.

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