• Paul has a diagnosis of dementia and needs help with everyday tasks, medication and personal care
• There were concerns over Paul’s ability to make informed decisions about his own care
• My Care My Home were asked to carry out Care Needs and Capacity assessments as this could be provided sooner than an assessment from the Local Authority
• My Care My Home’s shortlisting service was also used by the family to find a suitable care home that met their criteria
Paul's Story
Daniel contacted My Care My Home to make an enquiry on behalf of his 81-year-old brother, Paul. Paul had been living alone in a property in Oxfordshire, but due to a diagnosis of dementia and no other family nearby, Daniel thought it would be best for Paul to stay with him and his wife in Cumbria during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Within a few months they realised that Paul wasn’t as independent as they had first thought, and the situation was becoming unmanageable. Paul needed lots of prompting for everyday tasks, was unable to manage his own personal care, could not safely manage his own medication, and his dementia seemed to have progressed. The family became concerned about Paul’s ability to make decisions about his own care.
Daniel had Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) in place to support Paul with his financial and health & welfare decisions, but he did not feel able to meet Paul’s care needs himself and was unsure if it would be safe for Paul to return home to Oxfordshire on his own. He contacted Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) for advice and to request an assessment. Paul was identified by OCC as being a self-funder due to having savings over the threshold, so it was recommended that the family also contact My Care My Home.
Understanding Paul’s needs
Following a conversation with Annie at My Care My Home about Paul’s options, Daniel decided that he would like for My Care My Home to carry out a care needs assessment and capacity assessment as this could be provided sooner than a Local Authority assessment.
Within 5 days of the request being made, one of our qualified and experienced assessors had conducted an in-depth care needs and capacity assessment with Paul via Zoom video call. Paul’s options were discussed, and everybody agreed that a residential care home would be the best option to ensure Paul’s safety and care needs would be fully met moving forward.
“At a time when local authorities had decreased their level of service due to COVID-19, My Care My Home covered everything we needed via phone, email and Zoom.
We were floundering, being passed from pillar to post, not understanding the system of adult social care for our elderly relative.
My Care My Home helped us to find a way through a very complicated situation. They followed up every question (we had so many) and guided us through local authority confusion. They helped us to get the very best solution for our relative. We are so grateful and thoroughly recommend their service.”
– Daniel, Paul's brother
Finding the right care home
As the family were so pleased with My Care My Home’s assistance and services so far, they also requested our Shortlisting Service to help search for suitable care home options on Paul’s behalf.
Following a discussion with the family, it was agreed that the care home should:
• Be in Cumbria, and be close enough for Daniel and his wife to visit regularly (when Covid-19 restrictions would allow)
• Provide residential care and EMI (Elderly Mentally Infirm) care so that Paul wouldn’t need to relocate if his dementia worsened
• Accept local authority funding as full payment of fees as Paul’s savings would only allow him to self-fund for 6 months
Annie conducted a thorough search of care homes with immediate availability and identified a shortlist of 3 suitable care homes which met all of Paul’s specifications, and which were all fully compliant with the regulating body; CQC (Care Quality Commission). Once Paul’s family had agreed on which care home was their preferred option, an admission date was agreed with the care home for the following week.
Ongoing support
Annie also gave advice and guidance to Daniel on the steps that they needed to take with both Oxfordshire and Cumbria Council regarding Paul’s funding on a long-term basis. She made sure that they had a clear understanding of how the funding would work when Paul’s savings had dropped below the level that would qualify him as a self-funder.
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