Care/Carers

Family
It is automatically assumed that when you have an injury your family or partner will care for you and that most of your day to day requirements will be taken care of by family members.

Although this is something that occurs quite naturally because the people who love you want to help, it is not a desirable situation. It paces a great amount of strain on your personal relationships and changes the dynamics of those relationships.

It can also impose limitations on what you can do because your informal carers can not provide the assistance you need.

It is important for you to have choice and flexibility. You should be able to choose if you want your needs met by family members or by an external carer (personal assistant). You should not be forced to rely on unpaid informal care.

Community care
This means the system of support provided by the government through social services. The type and quality of community care services vary from area to area depending on the local authority.

Community care begins with a needs assessment. Local Authorities have a duty to assess the needs of every disabled person that request an assessment. You do not need to register with social services as a disabled person, but it wise to do so.

A representative form your local authority social services department will visit you at home to assess your needs in detail. These should include everything you require to enable you to live at home, including housing, social and health matters. If you are assessed as having needs under the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act, the local authority has a duty to arrange for provisions of the following services:

Practical help in your home such as cooking, personal care
Radio and television
Use of a library or similar services
Recreational activities outside of your home
Travel and transport
Adaptations to your home
Meals in your home or elsewhere
A telephone and any special equipment necessary to enable you to use it.

You have the right to be involved in your assessment. There doesn’t appear to be an appeal system, so if you disagree with the decision made about your care needs you need to make a formal complaint under the complaints procedure which all social services departments have. If you have tried this and been unsuccessful you can appeal to the Local Government Ombudsman.

If you are unhappy about what is being done you can also ask for support or advocacy from your local Disability Information and Advice Line (DIAL) on: 01302 310123, citizens Advice Bureau, or Advocacy Project.

Care Manager
Some local authorities will provide you with a care manager, usually a social worker or occupational therapist. This will probably be the person who will carry out the assessment. If you are not appointed a care manager, you should be appointed a Key Worker or a Continuing care Nurse who will take on the majority of responsibilities for your care. They will recruit and train Personal Assistants (PAs) if you need one, organise rotas and sickness cover.

Case Manager
If you receive personal injury compensation it may be advisable to employ your own case manager to organise your personal care package. This will depend on the severity of your disability.

Home Help
Home helps are now called Care Assistants or Home aides by many local authorities. Their work is targeted at elderly and frail people who require less input. This has drawbacks for disabled people as the Care Assistant often lacks the training to perform personal care tasks.

Personal Assistant
People who employ their own carers tend to call them personal assistants. They may provide personal care and support for domestic, social and employment needs.

There are private agencies, such as Active Assistance, Complete Personal Assistance and Origin which have been established for disabled people.

Meals-on-Wheels
The provision of this service varies from area to area, as the service is often contracted out to voluntary organisations. A drawback is that some services will only deliver to the door and will not help you with preparation.

District Nurse
District Nurses, sometimes called Community Nurses, are trained nurses employed by the District Health Authority and are attached to a local GP practice. The generally only perform nursing tasks and not personal care tasks such as helping you get in and out of bed.

Paying for care
When you apply for care your income will be assessed and, if it is above a certain level, you will be expected to contribute towards a proportion of your care. The level above which you are expected to contribute and the amount you will be asked to contribute vary from one local authority to another. Ask your local authority for guidelines.

It is worth noting that the local authority must inform you in writing if you are going to be charged for your care and how these charges have been worked out.

Compensation
If you are in receipt of personal injury compensation, it is likely that part of your compensation is for personal care and personal assistance. According to equal rights you have the same right as any other disabled person to receive help and support from any other statutory or voluntary agency.

Any compensation money is yours to spend as you choose, so providing you receive an adequate reward, you should be able to buy the type of personal care which works best for you. You are still entitled to assessment and support from your local authority social services, although you will usually have to contribute towards the cost of the services you use.