Help at Home

Home Help and Domiciliary Care

Oxfordshire County Council provide a range of domiciliary care services, including personal care (washing and dressing etc). More details can be accessed through our Social & Community Services page. However they will not provide gardening or general housework services.

"Home Helps" - in the tradition of undertaking general housework, laundry, and meal preparation, whilst keeping a watchful eye - are not available through Oxfordshire County Council. For many people with dementia this has left a big gap in care provision, which Guideposts Trust is now trying to fill with the Help at Home Care and Support service, see below.

Home Care

Home care visits in Oxfordshire are provided by many different care agencies. These may be arranged by a Care Manager, following a Community care assessment, or arranged direct with the agencies if someone is self-funding.

Alternatively, if a person with dementia or a carer has been assessed as needing community care services, the local authority may agree to give them money so that they can arrange and pay for these services themselves. These payments are called direct payments. Information on Direct Payments in Oxfordshire can be found on the Oxfordshire County Council website. In the Oxford area the Direct Payments Support Service can be contacted on 01865 728994.

Inspection reports for care services are available on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) website.

You may find the Age Concern Factsheet Paying for care and support at home useful.

Medication Only Calls

Medication only visits are funded differently from other home-care visits. Your GP should be able to arrange medication only calls, at the times you need supervision to take prescribed medication. These calls should be provided free by the NHS. This just applies to visits which are only for medication, if other care is also involved it will not be classed as a medication only call.

Approved Providers of Home Support & Assistance

Agencies can be approached direct to obtain care for people who are self-funding. Different agencies will vary in the services they offer (e.g. night care), their charges, and area covered: so you may need to approach several agencies.

Live-in Carers

Some home-care agencies can provide live-in carers, which may provide an alternative to going into a Care Home for some people with dementia, or reassurance if family do not live locally.

Back to Top

Relief to Carers Service

The Relief to Carers Service (registered with CSCI for domiciliary support), is part of Oxfordshire County Council Social & Community Services. Trained care staff provide support to people who would be at risk if left on their own for more than a short period of time, to allow carer/s to have a break.

A few hours can be allocated each week to enable the carer to take a break (average is 3 hours per week). Where possible Relief to Carers try to allocate the same care assistant at each visit, in order to provide continuity. Occasional longer or overnight breaks may also be available.

Charges for the Relief to Carers service depend on the financial circumstances of the person being cared for; they will be financially assessed.

Due to limitations on the availability of this service, referrals are normally only accepted from Social and Community Services Care Managers.

Help at Home Support Service

Help at Home provides practical assistance to help people maintain independence in their own homes. Support depends on what the individual requires, but the range of services offered includes:

• Light cleaning duties
• Preparing a light meal
• Assisting with laundry
• Providing carers with a short break
• Providing a day, evening and night sitting service
• Assistance on hospital discharge
• Shopping
• Collecting pensions/prescriptions
• Assistance to attend appointments

Cost is £10.50 per hour (minimum two hours a week), plus mileage expenses.

The Help at Home service is currently in the process of being rolled-out across Oxfordshire. Referrals can be taken from self, relatives/carers, or professionals.

Shopping Delivery Services

For some carers, or people with dementia living alone, it may be useful to have groceries delivered direct to your home, rather than having to make trips out to get these. However for other people popping out to get the grocery shopping may be an important part of your routine, that gives you a reason to get out of doors.

If you do think home delivery or home shopping for groceries would be useful to you, it may be worth enquiring whether any of your local shops offer a delivery service, and whether there is any charge for this.

Co-op Home Shopping is provided by the Co-op through Age Concern Oxfordshire to any older person or carer who needs it. You can use this service in any way that suits you regularly or on a one-off basis. Delivery staff have been chosen for their friendly helpful manner and trained to deal with emergencies. To give you security and peace of mind staff arrive in a Store-to-Door vehicle wearing a Co-op uniform and carrying an identification badge with photograph. As well as delivering groceries the driver can help unpack and put shopping away and remove out-of-date food. There is a charge of £5.50 per delivery, but if you are receiving care from Social Services you may not have to pay the delivery charge. Call the Age Concern Helpline on 01235 849400 for further details.

Back to Top

Frozen Meals

Laundry Service

The laundry service, based in Shotover, covers the whole of Oxfordshire. It is a free service, but can only be accessed via Social & Community Services. The laundry service is only provided when somebody has no other way to get their washing done.

Linen is not provided, it is the client's own garments and sheets that are washed. Laundry is collected weekly, so laundry service users must have at least two weeks worth of garments and sheets available. People should also note that laundry is put through hot washes, so this service is not suitable for delicate items!

Help with Continence

As dementia progresses people may experience continence problems with bladder or bowels. This may be because they are unable to find their way to the toilet anymore: in which case leaving the toilet door open, and measures such as a highly visible red toilet seat may help for a time. The Alzheimer's Society factsheet Incontinence has more information.

Urinary incontinence is more common, and pads are usually used to manage this when someone has dementia. This is because measures such as urinary catheters are unfamiliar, and therefore a foreign object to the person with dementia, who may well pull the catheter out, causing themselves considerable pain and possibly physical damage. However if the person with dementia is already used to having a urinary catheter this may continue to be tolerated. A small clip is available to prevent inappropriate emptying of the leg bag (e.g. the Bard Urilock).

Continence assessment and care is provided through the District Nurses. Everyone is entitled to free continence care on the NHS, including provision of pads if required. In Oxfordshire there is a policy to promote washable, rather than disposable, continence products. If the use of washable products is difficult for you talk to the District Nurse who in "exceptional circumstances" is able to make other products available to you.

If you are willing to purchase continence products yourself there is a wide range available to meet the full spectrum of needs, including pull on disposable pants that incorporate high absorbency: these are ideal if the person with dementia sees a pad as a foreign object to be removed from their underwear. Such products can be ordered through Boots (own brand is Staydry), or independent chemists (e.g. TENA products). You can also order through a number of mail order companies online, e.g. youreableshop.co.uk.

If even after consulting the District Nurse more advice is required, or you feel a full specialist continence assessment would be useful, you can contact the Oxfordshire Community Continence Advisory Service:

Further information is available on the The Continence Foundation website or for the Continence Foundation Helpline phone: 0845 345 0165 Monday to Friday, 9:30am to1:00 pm.

Back to Top

Care Alarms

People living In Oxford City can benefit from Community Alarms and fall detectors with emergency response. Self Referral:

Information about Community Alarm services across Oxfordshire is available through the County Council website.

Sole Mates Footcare

Healthy feet are important in order for the person with dementia to maintain their mobility and remain active.

Sole Mates is a footcare service provided by trained volunteers. They bathe and refresh tired and aching feet in warm scented water, trim toenails and finish with a gentle foot massage.

Age Concern Oxfordshire offer this service in older peoples homes, day centres and at special footcare sessions in community venues. If people are unable to attend these venues, then home visits can be arranged. Regular treatments are given every 6 to 8 weeks, dependent on individual need.

There is a small charge for each Sole Mates session. Please note that the Sole Mates service may not be applicable for people who are receiving NHS Podiatry care.

Back to Top