Care in your own home (Homecare)
If you are having trouble with everyday tasks at home, such as getting in and out of bed, washing or cooking, there is help available. This is often called homecare, domiciliary care, or sometimes home help.
Homecare is flexible, offering different levels of care without long-term commitment. Homecare offer a high quality service to suit all personal care needs.
You may just need help with everyday tasks while recovering from an illness. When you're feeling better you may not need the extra help.
Alternatively, homecare can help you to continue living at home and remain independent for longer.
Support
Depending on what areas of support you may be assessed as needing help with, homecare agencies can offer:
- support to manage daily tasks in the home, and personal care to keep people healthy
- an increase in independence by helping people regain skills to manage tasks alone
- respite care to give family members and friends who care for loved ones a break
While traditional personal care is a major part of what homecare agencies do, carers can provide all sorts of support to help individuals live an independent life.
This includes:
- cooking
- shopping
- laundry support
- visiting friends and family members
How to get support
It's important when considering homecare to arrange an assessment of care and support needs.
This will determine:
- what your homecare services will look like
- how much you will need to contribute towards your homecare
- if you are required to fully fund your care
You can be reassessed at a later date should your care needs change.
Arranging homecare yourself
You can get help with things such as cleaning, shopping and personal care through private homecare agencies. These agencies must be registered with the Care Quality Commission.
The UK Home Care Association can give you details of home care providers that follow its code of practice. You can also ask friends or relatives for recommendations.
Last updated 11 April 2023