Care Advice

Foreword, by Clare Kirkman

Clare Kirkman has worked within the Health & Social Care Sector for 25 years and is a Director of Ginare Consulting. In addition to working with Care & Nursing Homes and Domiciliary Agencies advising on issues such as meeting industry standards - Ginare Consulting also offers advice and support to people looking for permanent, respite or holiday care both in the UK and Mainland Spain.

Despite the occasional negative coverage of poorly managed care organisations within the UK, consumers should take comfort in the fact that there are constant improvements being made in the regulation of the Health & Social Care Sector. Extreme poor practice such as that which was shown in the domiciliary agencies covered by the BBC Panorama programme in March 2009, really is the exception to the rule.

Yet, sourcing and then choosing care is not an easy task and, after having previously owned a care organisation, and after regularly speaking with potential clients, I recognised over the years just how daunting a task it was for some. So I decided to try and make it as easy as possible for the consumers of care to better understand their rights and the obligations of care providers and promptly wrote a step-by-step consumer guide book focusing on getting good care services. And whilst I believe that the book is fantastic (naturally!), I am also mindful that it is merely a starting point for the consumer and that whilst it does help them to focus on key questions they should ask when looking for a service; it does nothing to help them physically find those services, other than to point you in the direction of several other resources.

Compare Care Homes is a step further and not only simplifies the task of sourcing care because it actually focuses on geographical area, it is a free resource for you and has fantastic criteria on which you can search. So, for example, it might be important to you to find a care home within 5 miles of Brighton town centre that accepts pets and smokers and the site has the capacity to narrow down the search to incorporate all of your preferences. The search criteria is extensive, progressive, and encourages care organisations to cite things they might not have ordinarily included in advertising resources, such as the ‘types’ of people the home might suit, including religious beliefs. You can then use my book to inform you of the next step to take when taking further your enquiries with a home that meets your initial requirements.

Additionally Compare Care Home is in real-time and, unlike my book, can be updated and amended as expectations within the sector change.

I love it, I endorse it and I just wish I’d thought of it first!

- September 2009

Care Home Questionnaire

"Take this questionnaire along with you when you start visiting carehomes yourself. We hope that it will help you make the right decision by suggesting what you should ask and look for in a simple yes/no format. We have tried to include all the important considerations."

Click here to download this document (PDF)

Choosing A Care Home

"Quite often, a move into a care home is suggested because of some crisis - maybe an illness or a fall - but it is not always the only solution. Think about why you are considering moving into a care home. Is it mainly because other people advise it? Or do you really want to make the move? Your family and friends, or people like your doctor or social worker, can help you to work out what you want to do. But it is up to you to make the final decision about what is best."

Financial Advice

"How much you pay for your place in a care home will depend on what you can afford. Your finances will be assessed by your local council to work out how much you will be asked to contribute. This financial assessment should come only after your needs have been assessed and it has been decided how best they should be met. This is because your income and the value of your assets should have no bearing on these judgments."

Powers Of Attorney

"Some people find the word ‘attorney’ confusing. In the context of this document, the word ‘attorney’ is used to describe the representative or family member that is trusted to make decisions on behalf of another person."