Most of us want to live independent lives within our own homes for as long as possible- it’s where we eat, sleep, where we feel most safe. If you have care needs or a disability, there are benefits to help you manage with the extra costs.

How you can receive care whilst staying in your home
Most of us want to live independent lives within our own homes for as long as possible- it’s where we eat, sleep, where we feel most safe. If you have care needs or a disability, there are benefits to help you manage with the extra costs. Receiving care at home is an increasingly common alternative to staying in a hospital or moving into a care home.

This is all dependent on your needs of course, you can receive help and support which allows you to stay at home as long as possible; you might not be able to stay at home 24/7, but there are ways in managing a long time period in regards to staying in your home. By having homecare, you not only avoid any upheaval, in addition to staying in familiar surroundings, it can also be a more economical alternative way in keeping a healthy mind-set and staying where you feel most comfortable.

What home care services are available?

There are a host of home services that you can be entitled too. The required service will be based on an assessment carried out by your local council’s social services department, or alternatively, the Health and Social Care trust if you are to be living in Northern Island. These services included:
- Regular visits from home care workers to help with daily tasks and personal care
- Meals sent to your home
- Equipment and home modifications which help with the mobility and accessibility around the house. The accessibility can consist of getting in and out of the bath, getting around certain sections of the house and getting up and down the stairs.
- Personal fall and panic alarms which are constantly monitored ensuring your safety is always being supervised
- Local check-ups and health needs
- Transport
- Daily care and reports
- Gardening, maid and handyman services

So as you can see, there are a number of services that you could be entitled too, though it may not be entitled to every single service stated on the list above; dependent on your condition, you will be viable to some sort of support.

What’s good about home care is that is can be very flexible in order to meet your needs and like you can see up above, it can come in many forms. You don’t need to suffer alone in your own home, nor do you have to be forced in a hospital or care home. If you believe that you might benefit from some help at home, the first thing you should do is contact your social services as they will direct you to the best route and will provide you with an assessment in regards to your needs and health. This will see what services you’ll be entitled too as well as the prices you may or may not need to pay. At the end of the day, all it takes is one phone call, and that one phone call can change your life for the greater good.