Care, carers & planning ahead
- Location: Age UK Bath & North East Somerset
- Price: Free
Email: bathnes.thehub@hcrgcaregroup.com
Telephone: 0300 247 0050
Thinking about care and planning ahead is not always easy, but having the right information can make things feel more manageable. Here you can find information on care needs assessments, support for carers, dementia support and planning ahead for later life, including Lasting Power of Attorney.
Care Needs Assessment
How do I get a care needs assessment?
Get in touch with the adult social services department of your local council and ask for a care needs assessment. There’s no charge for a care needs assessment and you’re entitled to one regardless of your income, savings, or level of need. Carers also qualify for a Carer’s Assessment.
A friend or carer can ask for a care needs assessment on your behalf, with your permission. If you lack the mental capacity to decide about having a care needs assessment, someone can ask for you to be assessed if they think this is in your best interests. You can ask for a care needs assessment by contacting your local council.
To qualify for a carer’s assessment, does the person I care for need to be assessed?
To be entitled to access support services, you have to be assessed, and you can get a carer's assessment regardless of whether the person you care for is having their needs assessed.
However, it may be a good idea for the person you look after to have their needs assessed, as long as they’re willing. The council may have a duty to meet any care and support needs.
This is also a good idea because it helps you both to plan for the future. If there comes a time when you're no longer able or willing to care for the person concerned, but the council has already assessed and recognised their needs, it should meet these needs without requiring further action.
Banes Council: Call 01225 394570. Phone lines are open Monday to Thursday, 8.30am to 5pm, and Fridays, 8.30am to 4.30pm.
Support for carers
We also offer advice to family members or carers (18+) who are supporting older relatives who are aged over 55 and live in Bath and North East Somerset.
Carers also qualify for a Carer’s Assessment. To be entitled to access support services, you only have to be assessed, and you can get a carer's assessment regardless of whether the person you care for is having their needs assessed
Dementia support
If you or someone close to you is affected by dementia, it can be hard to know where to start. We can offer information and support, and if we cannot advise on an issue, we will try to find an organisation that can help. We are part of the Community Wellbeing Hub and are connected to many community and charity organisations, and can make a specific referral on your behalf.
A diagnosis, for example, of dementia, doesn’t automatically remove someone’s capacity. Someone with dementia could have the capacity to make decisions for a long time after diagnosis. Even if someone’s capacity is changing or has changed, it is still important to include them in the decision-making process as much as they can understand.