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.

@NautaOcts

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.

That's what I thought. Social Service can give advice even if you're self-funding - no-one's ineligible.

* Being able to show them the different options locally both residential and within their own homes / community.*
There aren’t enough options to warrant being a consultant on them

@cissyandbessy

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.

I think it’s sad though if you felt you had to pay for this as it is out there for free. Local authority website is a good place to start, or age uk

The advice for free I mean! Not necessarily the services…

GPs can also point you in the right direction

@Sometimesfraught82

* Being able to show them the different options locally both residential and within their own homes / community.* There aren’t enough options to warrant being a consultant on them

How do you work that out? In a 10 mile radius of here there are over 50 care homes, 7 agencies and dozens of private carers!

They are different providers
Care options - not enough to warrant an independent consultant

So you’d essentially be giving your opinion on all the different care homes? But how would you know so much about then to be able to offer an expert view on each of them for example?

@NautaOcts I disagree completely that social services and gps would offer the same level of service as what I am proposing. I'm looking at a far more personalised service than having over a list of homes and agencies! Which is what happens if your not eligible for help.
The nhs is a free to use service but thousands use private services because they want a higher level of service and quicker turnaround. I would be doing similar - being able to quickly identify suitable services rather than waiting weeks for social services to get back to you!

I have been through this for my father and my aunt

It wouldn’t have occurred to me to pay someone to tell me that my father needed a care home. And then tell me about the 8 homes near by. A quick google did that and I saved the money!

How do you work that out? In a 10 mile radius of here there are over 50 care homes, 7 agencies and dozens of private carers! You would have to be very careful as a consultant advising between different care homes. 1) possible legal action from care homes you are advising against 2) possible legal action from families whose elder has not settled.

@Sometimesfraught82

They are different providers Care options - not enough to warrant an independent consultant

So you’d essentially be giving your opinion on all the different care homes? But how would you know so much about then to be able to offer an expert view on each of them for example?

I'm sorry but I disagree! Deciding what option is best for your relative is really difficult and not at all straight forward when you don't know what help and support is available!

Scenario

You are contacted by a woman wanting to put her father in to a home. He has dementia. She would like to find one within a five mile radius.

What would you actually do and how much charge?

Many GP surgeries have a Care Co-ordinator who do this role. I dealt with ours when sorting care for my parents and she was incredible. It's an important service you are planning to offer but it feels there are already people out there.

@CatFacePoodle

Many GP surgeries have a Care Co-ordinator who do this role. I dealt with ours when sorting care for my parents and she was incredible. It's an important service you are planning to offer but it feels there are already people out there.

Ours too when I come to think of it.

And free!

@Sometimesfraught82

Scenario

You are contacted by a woman wanting to put her father in to a home. He has dementia. She would like to find one within a five mile radius.

What would you actually do and how much charge?

I don't know how much I would charge yet

I would find the care home within that area which are dementia specialists, I would find out who has spaces, I would find out what additional services they had to offer - what activities, which GP practices visit, pull up cqc reports.
I'd ask the clients what other things are important - do they like sitting in the garden? What activities they would enjoy, what the visiting policies are.
I would then present all the available options to them. With all the information that is relevant to them specifically. I would then allow them to make an informed decision as to the ones they would like to visit.

Yes a lot of it could be done by relatives. But at the same time people are busy, don't want to make a dozen phone calls to establish who has spaces and who doesn't. It's a stressful time so you forget what is important and what isn't etc.

I think there is a potential niche.

When I was looking for a care home for my DM I spent a lot of time searching and phoning to work out which of the many local homes would be suitable - the best advice I got was from the homes who’d been personally recommended but didn’t have vacancies/couldn’t meet her needs. They were happy to give me pointers on other local homes who they would and would definitely not recommend, as long as it was off the record. Like a PP I think you might be exposing yourself to liability on recommendations.

There could certainly be a niche here on the basis of last post

The key
The absolute key
Is to remain independent so that you can be truly impartial

@MaloInAnAppleTree

I think there is a potential niche.

When I was looking for a care home for my DM I spent a lot of time searching and phoning to work out which of the many local homes would be suitable - the best advice I got was from the homes who’d been personally recommended but didn’t have vacancies/couldn’t meet her needs. They were happy to give me pointers on other local homes who they would and would definitely not recommend, as long as it was off the record. Like a PP I think you might be exposing yourself to liability on recommendations.

I wouldn't directly be recommending or not recommending any services. Just laying out the available options as they are and letting people have the information to make a fully informed choice.

@Sometimesfraught82

The key The absolute key Is to remain independent so that you can be truly impartial

That's why I wouldn't want to be paid a finders fee from the homes.

[quote Dobbyafreeelf]@NautaOcts I disagree completely that social services and gps would offer the same level of service as what I am proposing. I'm looking at a far more personalised service than having over a list of homes and agencies! Which is what happens if your not eligible for help.
The nhs is a free to use service but thousands use private services because they want a higher level of service and quicker turnaround. I would be doing similar - being able to quickly identify suitable services rather than waiting weeks for social services to get back to you! [/quote]
I think that was more a response to the pp who said they wouldn’t know where to start and would like to be pointed in the right direction.

And as I have said, people may not be aware but councils do have a duty to support self funders too, beyond just giving them a list of numbers.

I think I’m feeling a bit touchy about it because this is my day in day out work and can be very complex, particularly with issues around charging and social services/nhs funding.

One of the saddest things is when people wish they’d come to us (social services) earlier because their relative has moved into an expensive home (not always better in my experience) then when their funds are exhausted they find out it’s not one we will fund so the person is faced with either having to move or family paying a third party top up.

As I said before I do think there could be a role in overseeing care packages on behalf of relatives that aren’t local, or perhaps advocating with social services on people’s behalf, but you need to know all the ins and outs of the system.

If you are impartial and not getting a fee from providers then you will have to charge the service users a fee. And I just was making the point that if you do that you do need to be upfront that some of what you’re going to do can be got for free and councils have a legal duty for that (whether they usually discharge that duty is another question!)

Or - when people have moved their relative into a care home, then come to us and we feel that the person doesn’t meet the threshold for residential care in our opinion and therefore we won’t fund it in full

CHS healthcare does a similar service in our area down south. It's non chargeable to the client as providers pat a fee, but it's also independent.

Maybe talk to companies like this?

They manage to stay independent. So it's worth talking to them

Ie. If you can be a representative for them in your area