At Instant Homecare, we understand that beginning to arrange care or support for you or your loved one can be a difficult decision to make. That is why we have put together some FAQs which we hope will help you to answer your questions.
However, we are always here to answer any questions that you may still have.
Instant Homecare is a CQC registered and “Good rated” care provider which means our services are fully regulated through Care Quality Commission (CQC) – the independent care regulator in the UK. Through the provision of person centered and specialised home care, we are at the forefront of supporting those who are in need of care in their homes.
Instant Homecare doesn’t offer a one-size-fits all approach when it comes to care. Each individual and their caring needs are different, so we will offer you a service that caters for the caring needs of our service users.
With this in mind, every little details of every service we offer is customised to the needs of the individual who needs care, but also their immediate / close family.
Some people may need help with shopping while others simply need the company of someone for a conversation due to loneliness, family bereavement or the desire for making a new friend.
Others may need support with more complex needs and personal care including bathing, dressing and medication administration.
Our tailored care and support packages also consider long-term or life- changing illnesses such as Parkinson’s, Dementia and many others.
We offer a wide range of care services including domiciliary care and specialist care services. It all depends on your needs. We are here to assist you with care services such as personal care, companionship, live in care, light domestic tasks and specialist care.
Dementia is increasingly becoming rampant in older people as we begin to live longer life. But at the same time, we are becoming more aware of recognising its signs and achieving an early diagnosis.
We understand that early recognition and intervention can help families establish care as part of a daily routine, helping those living with dementia to remain independent.
At Instant Homecare, our highly trained care professionals are here to support you and your loved ones in the best possible way.
Our specialised dementia training is aimed at delivering the very best care and support to those living with dementia.
Our care staff are equipped with expert dementia training who will ensure your loved one receives the best support to help keep them healthy and happy at home.
We understand that caring at home for someone with dementia can be very challenging and can take a toll on peoples’ lives. At Instant Homecare, we have experienced staff who are here to help you with whatever you need.
We certainly understand that you may consider a personal alarm for your loved one living with dementia. We are aware this will help you reduce anxiety associated with living with dementia.
At our end, rest assured, we have trained care staff who will provide the much-needed support to your loved one.
If we notice there is a need of additional help, we can always suggest specialist help.
At Instant Homecare, we believe in providing and keeping the same care staff all the time, but this may not be possible due to sickness, illness and annual leave situations. Keeping this in mind, we will introduce you to a small team of dedicated care professionals who will take care of your loved one ensuring the consistency, familiarity and continuity of care.
Our recruitment approach is aimed at employing those people who truly want to care and make a difference to peoples’ lives.
After meeting with you and learn everything about your loves one’s interests, hobbies, needs and preferences, we will find you a perfect match. This means we will find you care staff whose personality and interests complement yours to help maintain rapport, together with the knowledge and skills to support you so that you can live independently at home.
We will then introduce you to our care staff before first visit so you can become familiar with them.
Medication is administered by our expert and trained care staff in line with the company medication administration policy. All such records are stored safely in the relevant section of digital care management section. This ensures your loved one receives the highest standard of care possible: from keeping them up-to-date with medication to providing them company and helping with their daily life- so they can live the way they are most comfortable with.
We understand that everyone wants the very best care for themselves and their loved ones. But understanding the cost of home care is extremely important so that you can make right decisions at the right time.
Instant Homecare is here to help. We will provide a general outlook of the average prices in different parts of the UK.
Home care can be an excellent as well as cost-effective alternative to care home. Whilst the prices may slightly vary from region to region in the UK, the options available to you will be more or less the same.
In England, NHS funding is a key source of paying for your care. In this process, you can ask your GP for a Continuing Healthcare Checklist, which is a quick screening test that determines whether you can be considered for a full assessment. If you are, then based upon your full assessment, you will know about your entitlement to Personal Health Budget (PHB).
Successful entitlement to PHB gives people living with disability or long-term health conditions more control, choice and flexibility over their healthcare. You or your representative the liaise with your local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) or Integrated Commissioning Board (ICB) to access funding that can be spent on your care.
Under the Care Act 2014, Local Authority have a duty to assess all individuals who need support and care, regardless of whether an individual may be self-funding or not.
In this process, firstly needs assessment will take place. After this, financial assessment will be undertaken. One the financial assessment is completed you will know if you or your loved one is entitled to funding for their care.
Those with assets not exceeding £23,250 will qualify for funding towards care costs. You can request your funding as a Direct Payment which puts you in control of how you would like to spend it.
If the NHS or Local Authority funding routes are not for you, you have the option to pay for your own care through your savings, liquid assets or any other financial products at your disposal. Equity release can also be used as an option to privately fund your care.
The exact price of your homecare very much depends on your needs-based assessment where frequency and intensity determine the price.
It also depends on the area you live in. As a general guide, an hourly visit normally starts from £21.00 depending upon the area you live in. With this, you will have a fully trained care staff who will support in your own home with domestic duties, medication and more.
Prices for 30-minute or 45-minute visits and overnight calls can also be arranged. Please feel free to ask for a free- no obligation quotation and one of our friendly staff will guide you through the process.
We have a digital care management system in place that schedules calls and allocate them to your familiar care staff. It is an effective monitoring tool that records the book on and off times of the care staff enabling us to know if our worker has arrived on time and completed your call.
We also have a Digital Care Planning available with an App in our care management system. This can be accessed by your loved ones or representative to see visit records reassuring them that care is being provided in line with the Care Plan.
Additionally, Medication records are also available digitally which enable us to manage your medication safely.
What happens if my caring needs change?
Don’t worry. We will regularly review your caring needs. This ensures that we are delivering the required and right service to your loved ones. Our dedicated care staff are aware of this requirement, and they can also alert us to any changes in your caring needs.
If you, your loved ones or representative feel your needs are changing, we are only one call away from them. Please feel free to call us straightaway.
Can the family member or representative still visit and check in whenever they want?
By all means! Our aim is to help your loved one live happily. We believe that keeping in touch with loved ones is essential to their care and our performance alike. So, whether you or representative wants to come along or contact us, we will be more than happy to facilitate and accommodate this.
How many hours would my loved one need?
We will always work with you to create a plan that works best for you and the needs of your loved one. Our plans are always flexible, so when the care needs change, we are able to make necessary adjustments to the plan reflecting these changes.
On behalf of the service provided by the staff, I am delighted and pleased with the nature and understanding of the staff, polite and ready to make the SU (service user) settle as best as they can. Their persistence to make sure that she is bathed is of admiration and the way the staff are polite not just with her but myself as I normally let them know what needs to be done.
Firstly, we are thankful to you and your team for supporting my family member. Secondly, we are very happy and satisfied with the service we have received so far from Instant Homecare. Thirdly, please say our special thanks to your staff who have been amazing in providing the much needed support to my family member. Based upon the service we have received from Instant Homecare and their amazing team, I have no hesitation in recommending Instant Homecare
We'll discuss your loved one's specific needs and create a personalised care plan that helps them live life to the fullest, in the comfort of their own home