People often put off arranging care because they do not know what the first step involves. They picture a form, a stranger with a clipboard, and a decision they are not ready to make. It is not that.
An assessment is a conversation, usually in the person's own home, about how the day goes now and where it gets difficult.
Who comes, and for how long
One of our senior team — usually the person who will go on to arrange the rota — visits at a time that suits you. It takes about an hour. Family are welcome to be there, and often should be, but the conversation is with the person who will be receiving the care.
What you will be asked
Mostly practical things, in ordinary language:
- How the morning goes. Getting up, washing, dressing — where does it take longer than it used to?
- Medication. What is taken, when, and who keeps track of it now.
- Meals. What gets eaten on a normal day, not a good day.
- Moving around the house, and anything that has caused a stumble.
- What matters to you that has nothing to do with care — the garden, the dog, Thursday bingo, a daughter who rings at six.
That last one is not padding. A care plan that gets someone washed and dressed but has them missing the phone call they wait for all day is a plan that has failed at the thing it was for.
What you are not asked to do
You are not asked to sign anything on the day. You are not asked to decide how many visits you want before you have seen what a visit looks like. And you are not charged for the assessment.
What happens next
You get a written plan setting out what we would do, when, and what it costs. If it is right, we agree a start date and you meet the carers before they start. If it is not right, or the timing is wrong, that is a normal outcome and we will say so — including if what you actually need is something we do not provide.
This article provides general information only and is not a substitute for personalised professional or medical advice. If you have an urgent health concern, call 111, or 999 in an emergency.