What Is Domiciliary Care? Everything You Need to Know

Domiciliary care is care provided in a person’s home. It’s also called homecare, or care at home.

It allows people to maintain their quality of life and independence while receiving support with things they find difficult, like personal care or household tasks.

Domiciliary care may comprise regular visits to the person’s home, or some people may have a live-in carer to provide support 24 hours a day. The frequency of visits will depend on the person’s individual needs.

If you’re curious about domiciliary care and who could benefit from it, look no further – in this blog we’ll explain everything you need to know.

What are the benefits of domiciliary care?

Domiciliary care enables people to receive the care and support they need in familiar surroundings where they feel safe and comfortable. It provides a significant level of support without impacting on the person’s independence.

It also provides valuable companionship. Regularly seeing a familiar face can boost mental health by providing comfort, friendship and feelings of safety. 

As well as providing the physical elements of care, domiciliary care workers can offer conversation, encouragement and emotional support. 

Domiciliary care in England is regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which provides guidance on how domiciliary care providers can meet regulations and fundamental care standards.

Who is domiciliary care for?

Domiciliary care may be required by anyone at any stage in their life. It’s for anyone who needs extra support with day-to-day life but wants to stay at home while receiving the care they need. 

This may include older people, people who are physically or learning disabled or those with mental health issues or sensory impairments.

Some people may need long-term domiciliary care, while others may need it temporarily – for example, when they’re recovering from an illness or injury.

Domiciliary care is suitable for those who:

• Find it difficult to cope with day-to-day tasks like washing, cooking, dressing and getting out and about
• Can still live in and get about their home safely, or can have their home adapted to make it safe
• Don’t want to move into a care home

What do domiciliary care workers do?

A domiciliary care worker visits people in their homes to help with personal care and household tasks, and may sometimes accompany the person on visits to the GP or hospital.

Some domiciliary care workers also offer live-in care, or work nights to offer assistance to people who need round-the-clock care.

A domiciliary care worker may assist with a variety of things, including:

• Getting up in the morning
• Washing and dressing
• Using the toilet
• Preparing food and drinks
• Cleaning
• Taking medication
• Shopping
• Collecting prescriptions
• Getting out and about
• Getting ready for bed

The role of a domiciliary care worker is to facilitate the person’s independence as far as possible, while offering compassionate and dignified care and support.

How much does domiciliary care cost?

According to the NHS, help at home from a domiciliary care worker costs around £20 an hour, but this can vary depending on where you live. Sometimes, the council will contribute to the cost.

For those who want help with domiciliary care, the council will initially arrange a needs assessment. If the needs assessment recommends domiciliary care, the council may provide help with the cost.

If the council is contributing to the cost of a person’s domiciliary care they must provide them with a care and support plan. This will outline:

• What type of support the person needs
• How the support will be provided
• How much money the council will contribute to the person’s care

The amount the person will contribute to the cost will depend on their income and savings. The council will carry out a financial assessment to work this out.

Those who aren’t eligible for financial help from the council will need to pay for their domiciliary care themselves.

You can find out more about when you might receive help from the council on the NHS website.

How to get help from a domiciliary care worker

Those who want domiciliary care can either arrange it themselves, or the council can arrange it if the person is eligible.

When seeking help from the council, the initial needs assessment will decide whether the person is eligible for care. If domiciliary care is recommended, the council will arrange the care.

If the needs assessment decides that the person is not eligible, the council must still offer free advice about where they can find help in their community.

Those who intend to arrange their own care can do so either through a domiciliary agency or by hiring a private carer.

There are several ways to find a domiciliary care agency:

• The NHS provides a list of national homecare providers, and a useful search tool that lets you search by postcode
• Local councils can provide information on local domiciliary care agencies
• The United Kingdom Homecare Association provides a search tool for domiciliary care providers, as well as advice on choosing care
• The CQC can provide the latest inspection report on an agency (all domiciliary care agencies must be registered with the CQC)

Those who intend to arrange their own care may still find it useful to have a council needs assessment, as it can help them explain to an agency or private carer what they need.

Paving the way for person-centred domiciliary care

At uRoster, we are developing a comprehensive care management system for domiciliary care providers, launching in 2021.

Our complete solution will support providers to stay connected with their employees and clients, while easily recording and sharing compliant and accurate care records.

If you’d like to know more, get in touch with us today – we’re always keen to chat. 

This article was originally published here.