Hi,
If an elderly person who currently lives at home with carers provided by social work department 4x a day, undergoes a social work assessment to decide on levels of care required, and is assessed as requiring full time residential care, can self directed payments allow whatever resource would be provided by the government towards that residential care, to be used instead for more in home care, eg for more hours of the day and or night?
Thanks
Hi Rae
Self-directed Support is about people’s right to have choice. A person can be assessed as needing 24 hour round the clock care but this does not necessarily mean it has to be in a residential care home. Some local authorities have a policy that they won’t pay more in total for homecare than they would for residential care but if this can be worked to keep the person at home, if that is there preferred choice, then this option should be fully explored.
Regards
Les
Thankyou Les, that’s helpful. Is there any form of ‘means testing’ within the system currently? If a social worker suggests that their assessment of a person’s needs is that in their professional opinion that person requires 24 hour care, and then states that if the person’s power of attorney feels they would prefer to try and access further care to support the person to continue living at home as opposed to going into a residential care home, the power of attorney is then responsible to fund that, is this correct or in keeping with the SDS standards framework?
Thanks!
Hi Rae
I wouldn’t say that I’m an expert on the assessment side of things. If you could let me know which local authority area the person being assessed lives in perhaps I can get someone from the relevant local PA employer support organisation to help you further. I’m not sure on means testing, how or if it affects things.
Regards
Les
Hi Rae, there is a useful guide to assessments and funding here: https://www.ageuk.org.uk/scotland/information-advice/care-and-support/care-at-home/
Justin