“Lots of homes in Northamptonshire did a lot of good work to raise the standards of care for people, especially those at the end of their life.”

Symphony Care provides care and accommodation for the elderly in its Northamptonshire nursing and residential home. The care providers offer services in several period properties in the centre of Northampton as well as an additional nursing wing. The home comprises 25 single  en-suite bedrooms with traditional period features and ‘homey’ decor. Symphony Care operates an ‘open house’ philosophy when it comes to care, with residents and their families participating in decisions and choices about routines and activities for their day-to-day care.

My Care My Home would like to extend their congratulations to Symphony Care – it’s great to see standards of care being raised across Northamptonshire and the UK!

Tom Locke, 34, and Antonia Hampson, 54, join the company as care and sales advisors, while Tess Davies, 22, will take on the role of Sales and Marketing co-ordinator.

Mrs Hampson and Mr Locke have more than 24 years of care sector experience between them, while Miss Davies’s background includes a string of marketing roles, as well as first-hand experience of the care sector working as a volunteer for Scope at Craig y Parc School for disabled children and helping care for her brother-in-law, who has Down’s Syndrome.

My Care My Home offers a whole of market comparison of all care providers and retirement living schemes through its website. It also offers a free, face-to-face advice service through home visits aimed at helping people find a suitable home care provider, or care in sheltered or extra care schemes and care homes, as well as independent financial advice. The service is supported by the Care Quality Commission and the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales.

Mr Locke, who joined the care industry in 2004 as a support worker for Mencap before climbing the ladder to become a team manager, said: “My job at My Care My Home is to build working relationships with local councils, care providers and groups and to offer guidance to people who need help caring for a loved one.”

Mrs Hampson, who has been involved in the care sector for the past 15 years, added: “I have witnessed the stress on families when they need support but there is no one there to give it. At times information and advice arrives too late as those working within the industry are frequently overstretched and have to prioritise their workload. My Care My Home works to fill that void.”

Having recently returned to Cardiff after completing an internship in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Miss Davies’s role at My Care My Home includes dealing with all aspects of customer service and providing a point of contact for clients, generating sales opportunities by responding to individual customer enquiries and local authority requests and overseeing the marketing strategy for the company.

She said: “My goal is to raise the profile of My Care My Home and to increase awareness of the brand and the services offered. I feel it is my responsibility to ensure everyone knows they are entitled to free professional help and advice on care, which is easily accessible and is delivered to the highest of standards. “

My Care My Home also offers a Care Monitoring Service which provides regular reports to individuals and their families, monitoring the quality of care people receive.

Other extra chargeable services include a paid-for premium listing option for all care providers, reports on shortlisted care providers for individuals and the option to negotiate the terms of their contracts with selected care providers.

Jeremy Nixey, chief executive of My Care My Home, said: “As the service grows and we get more interest from both care providers who wish to take up premium listing offerings on our website, and also local councils who are interested in partnering with us, it is important we have the right team and resources in place to meet the demand.

“I’m delighted to welcome Tom, Antonia and Tess to the team, and their experience will be crucial as My Care My Home gains momentum.”

Daventry District Council approved plans to expand the home to accommodate an additional 84 beds in March but opponents are unhappy with the size of the proposed building, along with its sustainability and impact on the landscape.

Paul Honeywell, a Spratton resident, is leading the campaign against the proposals and has stated that the protesters are investigating the possibility of a judicial review on the grounds that planning proposals were not handled correctly: “We believe the council did not take full account of policy and the recommendation to approve it was not correct.”

[Updated 01/05/13]

Staff were praised for their swift actions following the fire which broke out in a resident’s bedroom in the early hours of the morning on Tuesday 16th April. The local fire service was called out to Lawfords House residential care home with two fire crews who faced the fire while staff evacuated elderly residents.

Two further fire crews were requested to battle the blaze and the police and ambulance services were also called to the scene. Neil Lilwall, Station Commander at Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (HWFRS), commented: “A member of staff at the care home was alerted to the fire by the activation of a smoke detector and she found a small fire in a first floor bedroom which she tackled using foam extinguishers. She also evacuated the elderly resident from the bedroom and raised the alarm.”

The fire was quickly subdued by the three crews and a total of 11 residents were evacuated from the care home. Residents and staff were checked at the scene, with one staff member and one resident (whose bedroom was the location of the fire) were taken to hospital for further checks.

Domiciliary care is sometimes available through your local authority – a community care assessment will be able to tell you whether your situation is eligible. Social services will assess your needs and your financial situation to make their decision about the type of care they are able to offer.

If social care is unavailable to you, independent home care agencies also offer domiciliary care for a charge. Trained home care workers will provide the assistance you need in your own home while the agency acts as an intermediary, organising employment details for your carers, such as payroll, training and insurance.

Another alternative for home care is to hire a personal assistant. In this situation you will have the legal responsibility of an employer but have the benefit of reliable one-to-one care. Some charities also offer domestic assistance, such as Age UK and Crossroads Care. These organisations generally provide respite for carers who need a break from their responsibilities by temporarily taking over some aspects of care. For end-of-life care, Marie Curie nurses are able to offer emotional and practical support and in-home care.

Some people prefer to stay in their own home when they are in need of extra care, and domiciliary care can be combined with adaptations to your home to ensure that you can stay in familiar surroundings for as long as possible.

For free, independent advice on domiciliary and in-home care options in your area, get in touch with us at My Care My Home or by calling 0800 731 8470. We can help you search for local care provider that match your specifications, carry out a free care assessment in your own home, and talk over your care options so that you can make the right decision for you or a loved-one.

160 people currently reside in the care homes targeted for closure and will have to find care elsewhere when the plans for closure go ahead over the next three years.  Three care homes will be closed later in 2013 with two more following by the end of 2014. It is possible that a further three homes may be sold or closed depending on the outcome of current plans.

The homes, which are currently running under-capacity, are said to be more expensive to run than independent care homes. 350 organisations were approached in the hope of finding an independent buyer, but limited interest was shown.

The council acknowledged that the upcoming transition may be an anxious time for residents and their families and stated that help would be provided to find replacement accommodation for residents forced to move.

There will be further consultation with residents and trade unions before a final decision, according to the local authority. If these changes affect you or a family member, please contact us at My Care My Home for free and independent advice and guidance on alternative care options.

The care homes to be affected by the proposal are listed below:

Care homes to be sold/closed during 2013:

• Elizabeth House, New Parks
• Herrick Lodge, Leicester
• Nuffield House, Westcotes

]]> http://www.mycaremyhome.co.uk/2013/04/15/leicester-council-announces-the-closure-and-sale-of-eight-care-homes/feed/ 0 http://www.mycaremyhome.co.uk/2013/04/12/care-providers-improve-your-web-presence-with-a-my-care-my-home-listing/ http://www.mycaremyhome.co.uk/2013/04/12/care-providers-improve-your-web-presence-with-a-my-care-my-home-listing/#comments Fri, 12 Apr 2013 09:55:33 +0000 MyCareMyHome http://www.mycaremyhome.co.uk/?p=1299 read full article]]> Care providers across the UK are adding their details to the My Care My Home listings to improve the quality of their reputation and provide their details to those searching for local care homes, domiciliary care services and extra care apartments.

Our premium listings provide an opportunity for care providers to increase enquiries and referrals, improve their web presence, and spread the word about their services. You will be able to add your logo or an image of your services along with a description of the care services you offer. Customers can also leave reviews on your listing to tell other customers all about you.

Our care service listings offer a reliable selection of top quality care providers for customers to search through, so that they can find the right kind of care local to them. My Care My Home provides details and advice on care homes, in-home care and assisted living schemes across the UK – join our database and help customers to find you.

Take advantage of our introductory offer and receive a 12 month listing for just £99. Get in touch with us at My Care My Home to find out how to add your details to our database.

Social Services and Well-being: Creating tomorrow’s care today

My Care My Home will be attending to help us contribute to improving the quality and availability of care across the UK. The highly regarded conference brings together  senior members such as social service directors and managers, assembly, council and government members, as well as representatives from independent and voluntary care services. The  National Social Services Conference offers an opportunity for debate, information, and networking, and aims to improve outcomes for those in care, their families, and their carers.

My Care My Home is an independent service providing advice and support for people who need assistance finding the right care and finance options for their situation. We assist families, individuals and local authorities, as well as private care providers who wish to improve the quality and visibility of their services. Our free website comparison, advice services and home visits are available to all who need them, and we also offer a variety of paid services to individuals and care providers to assist in care decisions, financial practicalities and contracts with care providers.

Barnet Council has signed up to a newly-launched care service offering people advice about their care and support options, as well as offering independent financial advice.

The service, called My Care My Home, offers a free, face-to-face advice service through home visits aimed at helping people find a suitable home care provider, or care in sheltered or Extra Care schemes and care homes.

My Care My Home offers people advice about the cost of care and funding options available to them, how they can adapt their existing home to meet their requirements and, if necessary, assist people in letting or selling their home to help fund the cost of their care.

Through the partnership, the Council can refer individuals who will be funding their own care to the My Care My Home service. People who have savings and capital of £23,250 or more are not eligible for financial support from the council for their social care. This new service means that there is now somewhere for people in this situation to go for independent advice about the best support options for them, and about ways to make sure that they are getting the most from their savings.

The service is also open to individuals who wish to use the service directly rather than being referred by the council.

My Care My Home also offers a free, whole of market comparison of all registered care providers and unregistered retirement living schemes through its website, with search facilities, reviews of providers, their contact details and a list of their services. It is supported by the Care Quality Commission, who provides the key data on all registered providers as well as a link through to its latest reports on listed care providers.

Jeremy Nixey, chief executive of My Care My Home, said: “We’re delighted to strike this partnership with Barnet Council to offer care advice, support and funding services to people within the borough.

“We know that finding the right type of care can be a daunting experience for people, and it can be a particularly emotional and trying time for families. Through this partnership with the council, My Care My Home will guide referred individuals, as well as those coming to us directly, through the maze that is finding out what care you need and how you can fund it.

“It will help answer the all-important questions, such as whether the person needs to leave their home or can they receive care at home? If so, what do they need to do to make their home a suitable environment? What types of funding options are available to them, or how else they can go about paying for their care?”

The service also aims to improve the quality of care from home care providers and care homes by offering a chargeable Care Monitoring Service which provides regular reports to individuals and their families, monitoring the quality of care people receive.

Other extra chargeable services include a paid for premium listing option for private care providers, reports on shortlisted care providers for individuals and the option to negotiate the terms of their contracts with selected care providers.

“The social care sector has taken a lot of criticism over the past few years because of a number of high-profile incidents,” added Mr Nixey. “Through My Care My Home’s Care Monitoring Service, we aim to help drive standards upwards by ensuring people receive the level of care they expect and deserve.

“As well as setting up partnerships with local authorities in England and Wales like Barnet Council, we are also continuing discussions with private care providers about our premium listing offers.”

For further information, contact My Care My Home on 0800 731 8470, visit www.mycaremyhome.co.uk or email info@mycaremyhome.co.uk

Care homes around the country are opening their doors to the public for a special day to  ”show the world what care homes are all about.”

The aim of the open day is to change the negative perception of care homes that has been created by new stories covering stories on the minority of badly-run care providers. The open day is a chance to meet hardworking and enthusiastic staff, unique and charming residents and the special people who are involved with social care.

The National Care Home Open Day is “determined to build thousands of friendships, to change long-held perceptions, to create thousands of memories, and to have a fantastic day that will enrich lives!”

Pledge your support, find a care home near you or spread the word using the #NCHOD tag on Twitter.