If you’re looking for home care for yourself or a loved one, you may be unsure how much it will cost or whether you’re entitled to financial support. Enquiring about home care is a significant step towards accepting support that will promote your independence, and at Blossom, we believe that navigating home care costs should be straightforward. In this blog, we’ve broken down everything you need to know about the cost of home care, so you and your loved ones can make an informed decision that’s in your best interests.
Blossom Home Care Services Cost
Home care costs vary depending on your needs, such as the daily tasks you want assistance with or the complexity of care required to manage your healthcare condition.
While every Blossom care plan is unique, tailored to clients’ individual circumstances, we are always upfront and clear about pricing. Clients receive a detailed quote before care commences, and we do not charge more for home visits simply because they fall at certain times of day or on particular days, such as the weekend.
We’re proud to offer private home care at competitive prices so that more people can afford quality support in the comfort of their own home. No matter the cost of your bespoke care plan, all Blossom home care visits last at least 50 minutes so that carers have time to proceed at a pace that suits you. We recognise that social contact is an important aspect of all-round wellbeing, and our carers will always make time for a cup of tea and a chat.
Visiting vs Live-In Home Care Cost
As mentioned above, home care costs per hour or per week depend largely on your needs and custom plan. While we offer a variety of home care services, all with slightly different costs, we distinguish at a basic level between visiting home care and live-in home care.
Visiting Home Care
A visiting carer will come to your home at pre-arranged times to complete tasks and check how you’re doing.
- Help with daily living activities and domestic chores
- Your health, safety and wellbeing in professional hands
- Track every visit using the Blossom Home Care app
Live-In Home Care
A live-in carer will stay with you in your home, on hand 24/7 to provide physical and emotional support.
- Highly personalised support from specially chosen carers
- Complete control over your routine and living environment
- Particularly beneficial for people with partners and/or pets
When Does the Council Cover the Cost of Home Care?
Depending on where you live, how much money you have, and the extent of your healthcare needs, you may be able to get financial help from your local authority or the NHS. If you have a health condition or disability, it’s definitely worth checking what support you’re eligible for. To receive financial assistance from your local council for home care costs, you or someone acting on your behalf will need to take the following steps:
1. Care Needs Assessment
A care needs assessment will evaluate the care you require and the services that could meet your needs. Depending on which tasks you can manage, whether you have a physical or mental condition, and whether your experience is impacting your wellbeing, your local council may offer services for free or agree to cover care costs as part of state-funded home care. Your district nurse, GP or carer can refer you for an assessment on your behalf.
2. Financial Assessment
If the care needs assessment finds you eligible, the council will conduct a means test that accounts for your income and capital, such as savings. In England, the council usually helps to pay for home care costs if you have savings below £23,250; otherwise, you will need to fund your home care yourself. Your home is typically excluded from the means test. In Scotland, the council pays for anyone who has been assessed as needing care, and you are expected to contribute to the cost with your income, such as your State Pension.
3. Choose a Home Care Provider
If you’re still eligible for help with home care costs after the means test, you can choose for the council to arrange these services for you, or receive their contributions as direct payments to arrange home care yourself.
Please note that not all private home care providers accept financial support from local councils, so you will need to check with your chosen provider. If you’re being discharged from the hospital, you may need to arrange a care needs assessment to determine the kind of help you need at home while you recover.
Additional Financial Support Options for Home Care Costs
If you don’t meet the eligibility criteria for support with the cost of home care from your local council, there are many alternatives that you could benefit from.
- NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC): The NHS can arrange free home care for people with long-term complex health needs who are living in England or Wales and over 18. When you apply, a multidisciplinary team will look at the complexity and intensity of your needs, as well as any health risks they pose if they’re not met.
- Attendance Allowance: If you’re over 65, which is the State Pension age, you can claim an attendance allowance for help with the cost of home care for elderly people. If you have a physical or mental disability or health condition, you’re eligible for this support.
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP): If you need help with daily living or mobility support due to a physical or mental health condition, you can receive PIP. The amount you’ll receive depends on how your condition affects your life, rather than what your condition is.
- Industrial Injuries Disablement (IIDB): Unless self-employed, anyone living in the UK is entitled to this benefit if they became ill or disabled due to an accident at work. The amount you’ll receive depends on how much your injury or disability has affected you.
- Constant Attendance Allowance (CAA): If you need daily care due to a disability caused by an industrial accident or military service, you’re entitled to a CAA on top of your War Disablement Pension. However, you cannot receive any of the above-mentioned care packages if you claim this one.
- Disability Premiums: This is an extra weekly monetary payment added to other benefits, such as Income Support, Job Seeker’s Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance or Housing Benefit.
Guaranteed Transparency With Blossom Home Care
At Blossom Home Care, we’re always completely transparent about our home care services costs, and we will never surprise you with hidden fees. Whatever your personal and financial circumstances, we will gladly have a free initial consultation with you to discuss your needs. If you have any questions about the cost of our services, or about the level or type of home care you might need, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.