Help at home (homecare)

Homecare (also known as domiciliary care) can assist you to be able to live independently in your own home for as long as is possible. You may need a little extra support to live independently in your own home for as long as you wish and is possible. Homecare (also known as domiciliary care) can help.

Homecare is when paid care workers come into your home to help you with your day-to-day tasks. This can include help with personal care, meal preparation and domestic tasks. 

Homecare can also provide short term support in an emergency and allow family or friends to take a break from their caring role.

Arranging your own homecare

You can arrange your own homecare by employing a professional directly through a homecare agency. We advise that you choose a professional that is registered and inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). You can then be sure the homecare provider follows the national standards. You can search for homecare providers on the Care Quality Providers website.

Choosing a homecare service

The following questions are useful to ask when choosing your homecare:

• is there an out-of-hours or emergency contact in case you need it?
• can they help you throughout the day or at night  if you need them?
• what training and supervision do they provide for their care workers?
• are the workers trained to meet your particular health condition/s?
• how will the homecare provider make sure you are happy with their service?
• is it possible to receive support from the same care worker, or two to three care workers all the time?
• do care visits always take place at my preferred requested time?
• do you provide a schedule of the care visits for each week?

You may not always have the same homecare assistant to help you as they may not be available. If you would like the same person supporting you in your home a personal assistant might be a better option for you.

Personal assistants

A personal assistant is a person you choose and employ to provide you the support you need. Some people prefer having a personal assistant because they'd rather receive support from just one person that they know well. If you're eligible for support from us, you can take your personal budget as a direct payment and use this option.

Support arranging homecare

You can ask us to arrange your services for you if you are unable to do this independently. We will arrange homecare for you, if you are assessed as having eligible care and support needs and you would benefit from homecare to stay safe and independent at home.

You can find information about what to expect from your care provider/s if we arrange your care at home.

Finance

It is likely you will need to contribute towards the cost of the homecare services. We will complete a financial assessment with you to find out how much you may need to pay.

Page last updated: 27 June 2022