Help for carers from adult social care

Before the person with cancer you look after can get help, they should have a needs assessment. To ask for a needs assessment, contact the adult social care service at your local council. You can call them, or do it online.

A social worker or occupational therapist usually does the assessment as a home visit. Sometimes they do it by phone. They ask the person you look after how they manage everyday activities, like washing, dressing and preparing meals. An assessment of the house might also be needed.

It is important the person you look after gives as much information as possible. It may help to talk about everyday activities and write down things that they find difficult. You should do this before the assessment.

An assessor should ask if there is anything that could make communicating easier, such as an interpreter. If the person you look after finds communicating difficult, you can speak for them, if they wish. You can also take notes during the assessment.

The assessment should include:

If services are needed urgently, you may be contacted within 24 hours. If needs are less urgent, it can take 1 week or sometimes more. The assessor will keep you updated.

Help can be provided by adult social care services or arranged with other organisations such as charities. It might also include what care and support will be provided by you and other friends, family members and neighbours. It might explain:

• what information will be shared
• why other things are kept confidential
• what this means for the best interests of the person you look after.

It is important that you understand the results of the assessment and why decisions were made. If there is anything you are concerned or unsure about, ask the assessor.

Services might include:

• meals at home – such as meals on wheels
• a laundry service for people with incontinence
• equipment to help with daily activities
• changes (adaptations) to the house to help with daily activities
• advice about benefits you are entitled to
• someone to sit with the person you are caring for, to give you some time for yourself – this is called sitting services 
• care for the person you are caring for, to give you a break – this is called respite care.

Some services are paid for by the NHS or the local council and are free. But the person you look after may need to pay for other services. They will have a financial assessment (means test) to see if they have to pay anything.

A means test is done by a financial assessment officer from the council. They ask about the finances of the person being assessed. This includes:

• money earned through work
• pensions
• benefits
• savings
• property.

If the person you look after is having a means test, they will need to have bank statements and other paperwork available.

If the council is paying towards the cost of care for the person you look after, there are 2 ways this can be done:

• The council makes direct payments into their bank account each month for you to organise care services yourself. The account may be set up especially for direct payments.
• The council can help you choose care providers and manage the budget. The council organises care and sends the person you look after a regular bill to pay towards those costs.

Ask your local council for more information about means testing and direct payments. You can also visit gov.uk or the NHS website.

There are situations where care is paid for by the NHS. They can provide care called reablement. This can last up to 6 weeks and is care for someone after an illness or hospital discharge. We explain more about reablement in our information about going home from hospital.

If the person you look after needs a lot of ongoing care in their own home, they may be able to get NHS Continuing Health Care (CHC). This care is paid for by the NHS. It is for people with complicated and serious medical needs. Your healthcare team can tell you about this.

You may get help from care workers to support you and the person you look after. This is called home care services. This gives you a break and helps you feel less tired. Care workers may also be called personal assistants or home helps, depending on where you are in the UK.

Care workers may do certain jobs around the house, or sit with the person to give you a break. Services can include:

• cleaning
• washing
• cooking
• shopping.

They may also provide personal care, such as washing and dressing.

Your local adult social care service or the Carers Trust can tell you what is available in your area and any costs involved.

You can use a home care agency to find a carer. The carer is directly employed by the agency, so they cover their training and supervision. These agencies are inspected and regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). You can search for local agencies and read inspection reports on the CQC website.

If you need help with cleaning, you could also contact a cleaning agency. Ask friends or neighbours if they know of any. Or you could look for adverts in a local newspaper or online. It is a good idea to contact a few to check if they meet your needs and to compare costs.

If you are looking after someone who has problems with leaking from the bladder or bowel (incontinence), your local adult social care service may be able to provide a laundry service. Or you may be able to get a grant towards laundry costs.

They may do a needs assessment to find out what is needed. Ask the district nurse, GP or social worker about this.