Would this type of service be helpful to people?

[Dobbyafreeelf]

Looking for opinions on whether you would use or think about using a service such as the following when looking for care?

For context I’m a self employed carer currently but have been working in the care sector for over a decade. I’m looking to change my role/business over the coming months.

Basically what I’m proposing is offering a local service to help people who are trying to establish options with regard to their own or their relatives care. Being able to show them the different options locally both residential and within their own homes / community. To help them establish the right setting for their ongoing care.

So I would know the local care homes, nursing homes, agency’s and independent carers and help clients to work out what might work for themselves or their relative.

I know social services offer something similar. But I’m taking about for the clients who are not eligible for social service help or who would like a more personalised experience.

Hi, yes it sounds a good idea but how would you charge? Would it be limited to a small area?
If you could find people dealing with elderlies from a distance it could be very useful- but not sure how theyd find you?

@thesandwich

Hi, yes it sounds a good idea but how would you charge? Would it be limited to a small area? If you could find people dealing with elderlies from a distance it could be very useful- but not sure how theyd find you?

Tbh these are still things I need to work out!

I wanted to see if it would even be something people would be interested in before making too many plans!

In my area, Social Services assess and provide a list of care homes that have vacancies with their charges. I would imagine there might be a market for a service that provides more in depth insight for people who might not have family to chase this or who are unable to visit. I would imagine it's quite limited though and how would you charge?

Yes, it’s desperately needed.

However, I would just say that when these situations arise, typically people will not know how to access your service. When we needed this for FIL, we just couldn’t access what was needed. He stayed at home way too long, it was dangerous and ultimately a major factor in his death. We were lost, he couldn’t think things through critically and just said “I want to stay at home”. I think he’d be alive still if he had gone into residential care.

@Dobbyafreeelf

Looking for opinions on whether you would use or think about using a service such as the following when looking for care?

For context I’m a self employed carer currently but have been working in the care sector for over a decade. I’m looking to change my role/business over the coming months.

Basically what I’m proposing is offering a local service to help people who are trying to establish options with regard to their own or their relatives care. Being able to show them the different options locally both residential and within their own homes / community. To help them establish the right setting for their ongoing care.

So I would know the local care homes, nursing homes, agency’s and independent carers and help clients to work out what might work for themselves or their relative.

I know social services offer something similar. But I’m taking about for the clients who are not eligible for social service help or who would like a more personalised experience.

Definitely a market for this. Ever growing number of older ppl in the UK (over 65) are both single and also don’t have any children (1.5 million ppl) and May not have anyone who has the time to go through all this with them. It’s likely many of them would also fall into the self funder category as well

But also what aiwblam said!! Getting too ppl is 100% the hardest bit.

In my area there is a private company offering a similar service (for self funders). It’s called care seekers. Their business model is that providers (care homes, homecare agencies) pay them. Not sure if it’s per referral or just a general fee to be listed with them.

Are you knowledgeable about the ins and outs of local authority charging policies? 12 weeks disregards? Deferred payment options? Implications for benefits when moving into care?
Do you know what happens when people exhaust their own funds and which homes the local authority is likely to take over funding and those they won’t, (and therefore the person might have to move)? Do you know what the threshold is below which people might be eligible for social care funding?

What about NHS continuing healthcare? (Process for applying for nhs funding of care)

Self funders can still request an assessment and help from the local authority if they wish

How’s your knowledge of telecare options and technology that can help people stay independent for longer?

Sounds like a great idea but for us, care was needed urgently after a Hospital admission and I'm not sure I would have found you and your service.

I think there is a need but you need to be very careful that you signpost appropriately and be upfront with people that they are entitled to this help and advice for free from the local authority. Or be upfront that if it’s free for them, you are getting a fee from providers so might compromise your independence.

I think there is a market. I guess it's like having a doula for a birth - someone to help you navigate your way through the options. Organisations like age concern and alzheimer's society provide it to an extent but a more in depth service would be good.

Personally I would avoid working with a business that was paid for referrals from the homes as I would be concerned about impartiality. I know that isn't what you have suggested OP but one of the main reasons I would use a service like this would be to get unbiased information centred around the person who needed care, without worrying you may be swayed by commissions.

I'm a social worker and I do all that for self funders if they need the help.

Otherwise I refer them onto a brokerage service locally that sounds similar to what you're proposing. They get a sort of finders fee from the home.

@NautaOcts I definitely need to do more research. As there is as you say a lot of complicated things to establish on a case by case basis.
I don't think I would be taking a finders fee but rather charge a fixed amount for the service. I'm primarily talking about clients who would not be eligible for social services help. All social services in this area do is give you a list of homes or agencies and let you work it out from there.

This is something that many specific charitable organisations do provide support on.
Ultimately, unless you were on commission to the homes, you'd not bei able to access them on the manner you anticipate I'd think and atm not at all.

And given that there are so many simple search engines available, this sounds like one of those nice to be had for free, but superfluous to needs longer term. Certainly I'd not anticipate you being able to make a living out of it I'm afraid.

There is certainly a need, but a great deal to think about. A friend does this abroad, but in a similar health service to the UK. She is a registered nurse and also did a business degree. Her company is just starting, but I know she has had lots of things come which aren't so obvious.

Things to consider:

• insurance for yourself (YOU recommended that care home, and now mum mother has died!!!)
• website/high google search/advertising your company
• Who covers you when you are sick or on holiday?
• It could be far too local. What if people want help in a nearby town or another city?
• Can you also provide info/aids on people staying within their own home?

I know that is often the experience of people but councils are supposed to support self funders too and that would be free (unless they actually set up and commission services and then there is a fee).
And under the Care Act self funders are entitled to assessment.

I think perhaps a role for keeping an eye on people, liaising with social services and agencies, for family members who live far away. Kind of like being their ‘eyes on the ground’ if they can’t be there.
But people don’t like paying for stuff….

Thanks everyone it's been really useful to hear your thoughts! The idea literally has come to me in the past day or so, so if really is early days! Basically I want to be able to work more from home and provide a valuable service with the experience I have gained over the past decade.

Lots to think about!

I used a service like this a few years ago, it was offered by the local authority but they charged a small fee (something like £30).

The LA consultant came out and met with us and the people needing care to find out about circumstances, requirements and preferences. They provided quite a bit of information, local directories of carers and care homes.

They then went away to do a bit more research and check with a few companies before providing us with three recommendations to meet with and investigate further.

I was talking to a friend about this only last week. I would love a one stop shop who could tell me how to find out about help available, what we might be entitled to, how to access things like a commode. In fact my friend was thinking of establishing a carers support drop in clinic local to us at a community coffee shop where carers could find support and direction but this would be part of the charity, not a service that people would pay for.

In my situation I would prefer to make a dozen phone calls rather than pay for a service that would help me access the support we need.

My friend’s brother has set up something a bit like this. He helps people sort out in home care and adaptations and has excellent knowledge of what the local authority will pay for and how to present your case for discretionary funding. He offers nothing that people couldn’t do for themselves or get from social services but he knows what needs to be done and what you can get and that is something that people will pay for. And being in the middle of it for my parents and pil I would pay for it, but he only operates in the local authority he lives in. So I think there is a business in what you propose.

But I’m taking about for the clients who are not eligible for social service help Which clients are not eligible for social services help?

There’s eligibility within the Care Act, some people may feel they need/want help e.g. just with domestic tasks, but not meet that eligibility threshold. They might be sign posted to organisations that can help but social services wouldn’t provide care.

Or, people may have eligible needs but if they have savings over a certain amount then they would need to pay for care themselves and usually arrange it themselves direct with agencies or care homes. Or the local authority can offer advice.

I would definitely use and pay for a service like this to start off in the right direction. I've no clue where to even begin looking into this for my parents and it seems totally overwhelming tbh.