Arranging your own care

How to pay for your own care

There's options available for arranging your own care.

You can fund your own care. This could be because you are not eligible for support, or you want to make your own arrangements.

Before deciding if a care home is the right choice you need to work out what your needs are.

Think about an day in your life and what points during the day you need support.

Consider how you are at:

• personal hygiene, bathing, and dressing

• preparing and eating meals

• toilet needs and continence

• getting around the house

• doing housekeeping and laundry chores

• taking medications as prescribed

• managing money

• using transport like a bus or car for short trips, to go shopping, or to run errands

• responding to an emergency and getting out of the house quickly.

If these become challenging, you might need support.

We can support if a family member or friend needs adult social care. (We have support for people that have not been previously assessed.)

Whether it's support with bathing or taking medication there's options to manage your needs.

This could be care at home or buying equipment to support you in your home.

If you feel living at home is no longer possible, you can look for other housing options:

• sheltered housing schemes

• housing associations

• housing providers

• private retirement home schemes

If the above options are not appropriate then a residential care home could be the best option for you.

If you are making decisions on behalf of someone else, you need to be sure you have the right to do so.

When arranging care, don't assume that a residential care home will be the best way to support you or a loved one.