For many people over the age of 50, the need to reach decisions on care for elderly family members will be one of the key life stages you have to face, when your loved ones are no longer capable of expressing their needs and wants.
Choosing a care home or deciding it’s time for professional care at home for a parent or close relative will often be a new experience for which you are not prepared and you may find yourself confronting this situation without warning due to a sudden illness, rapid deterioration In health, dementia or a fall.
It can seem like a daunting challenge, however there are professionals who can advise you and a number of web-based tools that can make the process a lot easier and allow you to make a decision based on a broad spread of information.
What is care at home?
Homecare providers or agencies can provide you with a carer who will visit the person in their home and provide a range of services to help your family member maintain independence. It can make a huge difference to their life, especially if they have difficulty walking or getting around.
What do care homes provide?
Support provided in a care home can involve: help with eating, washing, bathing, dressing and toilet needs, and caring for you if you become ill. Some homes provide services for people with more complex needs, including nursing care.
Choosing home care or a care home: Choosing care is an important decision. You need to choose one that is right for you, both now and in the future. You can get advice from a social worker, district nurse or your family doctor. Alternatively, you can use a range of online tools to help you make the decision.
Paying for care and support – see our helpful information page.
Calderdale Council: For a list of all the care homes in Calderdale, their contact details, information about the service they provide and links to their Care Quality Commission reports, visit the Calderdale Council’s website, where the information is stored in their Social Care and Wellbeing Hub.
All Calderdale’s main care services are now under Gateway to Care. Find out more about Gateway to Care, the services available and how to access them on our information page. Find out more.
Quality Care Commission (CQC) Find Care at Home Service. They inspect a range of different services that offer care in the home and you can use their inspection reports and ratings to help you understand the quality of care.
Quality Care Commission (CQC) Map of Care Homes. The Quality Care Commission (CQC) has produced a map of inspection ratings for care homes. The map is very easy to use and each care home marked on the map has an accompanying rating and report. You can search by postcode to find services near you.
Independent review websites can also be a useful way to select a care home or homecare service.
Age UK: There is a lot of useful information about choosing care on the AgeUK website including a guide and a checklist which can be downloaded.
You can also download our guide-to-care to help you understand when to start looking for care and how to make the right choices.
Download the guide to care
If you aren’t sure that a family member is ready for care but are worried about them, especially if they live alone, you could consider getting a care alarm for them. Calderdale Council offer a care alarm system in partnership with Progress Lifeline. Find out more.
If your family member has dementia or is waiting for a diagnosis, read about the support available here.