What is the aim of community care? Community care services help people who have serious difficulties with coping with routine activities of daily life to go on living as independently as possible in their own homes. If necessary, help is provided to move to more suitable accommodation where care and support can be better provided. Community care services can include long term or short term care in care homes. Community care services are provided only after we carry out an assessment of your needs. The assessment will normally include contributions from other professionals within the NHS and other agencies. What kind of help can be provided? Help with personal care (such as washing and dressing), social support and stimulation. A number of different services can be provided to meet these needs whilst people are still living in their own homes: * home care * day care * community meals (meals on wheels) * occupational therapy * equipment and adaptations We can also provide funding to assist with the costs of living in a residential care or nursing home where this is needed and your financial situation meets the criteria for such help. If you are living in the community, you can choose to have a direct payment (i.e a sum of money) so that you can arrange your services yourself. Can carers get help too? Carers (a carer is an unpaid friend/family member who helps you) will be offered a separate assessment of their needs where they provide a substantial amount of care on a regular basis. This will lead to advice being given about support and services available, including services provided for carers. Who can get help? At present we provide community care services to people whose assessment needs show that they are at substantial or critical risk of losing their independence. This means that people who receive services following assessment will have quite a high level of need. People who do not fit these criteria will be advised where they can get other services which do not need a formal assessment. The kind of difficulties people who are assessed as needing community care services will have are: * problems with day to day living due to old age * physical disability * learning disability * sensory impairment * mental health problems * drug and alcohol dependence * some form of injury or long term illness How is community care arranged? There are five steps in the process: * you, or someone else on your behalf, asks for help * we assess your needs together with you and your family and decide whether you meet the criteria for receiving services * we agree with you how we will provide the help you need * we arrange for that help to be provided (or you do, if you choose to have a direct payment) * we check on a regular basis that the help you are getting still meets your needs. Can I choose how help is provided? We will work with you to get the best package of services to meet your needs. There may be some occasions when the service you would ideally like is not available. In these circumstances, the best available alternative will be found. If you are living in the community, you can always choose to arrange your services yourself, using money provided by us via a `direct payment’. Further information is available in our Direct Payment factsheet. Do I have to pay? Most services are subject to a charge but the charge you pay will vary according to your financial circumstances. A financial assessment will be carried out to work out what charge you can afford to pay. This will be done in accordance with guidelines laid down by the Department of Health. Who will provide the service? This may be the council but voluntary and private sector organisations are paid to provide services in many cases. Almost all the care homes in North Somerset are run by private or voluntary organisations. With a direct payment, with some limitations, you can choose who provides the service yourself. What happens if my needs change? We will carry out a review of your needs at least once a year. If your needs change in the meantime you can ask for them to be reassessed. This may lead to changes in the service you get. What happens if I am not satisfied with the services provided? Discuss the problem with our staff in the first instance. If you remain dissatisfied contact our Complaints Manger. Christopher Orlik Complaints Manager Adult Social Services and Housing 14 Fenswood Road Long Ashton Somerset BS41 9BS Tel: 01275 882171 Email: christopher.orlik@n-somerset.gov.uk What do I do now? If you feel that you need community care services contact North Somerset Care Connect This is a telephone service for older people and other adults that require information about a range of services, including statutory, voluntary and private organisations. Tel: 01275 888 801 Fax: 01275 888 407 Minicom: 01275 888 805 Email: care.connect@n-somerset.gov.uk Lines are open Monday – Thursday 8.30am to 5.00pm Fridays 8.30am to 4.30pm` This publication is available in large print, Braille or audio formats on request. Help is also available for people who require council information in languages other than English. Please contact 01275 882181. Produced March 2008 1