Care Agency in Cumbria: 
How do we perform an In-Home Care Assessment? 

We provide private care services in Penrith, Keswick, Carlisle and the Eden Valley. Before you start receiving home care services, one of our care managers will meet you at your home to undertake a care and risk assessment so that we can provide our carers with the right information before your care starts. 

We want to find out about your personal preferences, in-home care needs and goals so that we can provide you with a care plan that’s individual to you. Once we have gathered this information then this will be shared with the carers securely via an application on their mobile phone. You can decide if you would like your information shared with family members, friends, your GP and other health professionals.

We need this information to make sure we can deliver the safest and most effective care. The organisation that inspects our services, the Care Quality Commission, expects us to keep detailed and up-to-date records.

What information will we ask for?

We will ask for the information below, but we may already have some of the information if you’ve agreed it could be shared by a social worker or a discharge nurse at the hospital. You can ask our care manager any questions you like throughout your assessment. Family members, friends or advocates are welcome to attend the care assessment.

Finding out about you:  

• Our managers enjoy meeting our clients and initially like to just have a chat and get to know you and your daily routine
• You can share with us a little background information like where you lived, and your previous job roles, hobbies and interests
• We ask about how you want us to communicate with you. Some people prefer larger print documents or need documents in different formats. Others prefer us to visit them at home rather than call the on the telephone
• We need details of any health conditions or any mental or physical disabilities you may have

We need your contact details:

• Your contact details and your next of kin, friends or advocate. Details of your Power of Attorney if you have one
• Your date of birth
• Details of other health professionals involved in your healthcare

Finding out about your home: 

• We’ll ask how to access your property. Some people prefer to answer the door to carers whilst others purchase a key safe so that carers can let themselves in
• We will discuss a plan for what happens in poor weather conditions, i.e., how we can access your home if you live on a farm or narrow country lane
• We undertake a risk assessment of your home to check there are no hazards for our carers, i.e., low beams or loose wires

Getting out, mobility and shopping: 

• Our manager assesses your mobility and records details about any support aids you may have and what help you need with your mobility
• They will check the areas in your house where you will be using any mobility equipment to make sure it’s safe and spacious enough to provide care safely
• We will find out what kind of shopping you need and if you prefer to go to shops or want the carer to go for you. We find out how it will be paid for and explain how carers keep financial records

Medication Support: 

• We need to find out about the medicines you take and any creams you need help applying
• Details of your pharmacist and GP and any allergies you might have

Preparing meals and related specialist needs: 

• We ask about the kind of meals you like and what time you like to eat them
• Our assessment includes any special dietary needs you may have due to your lifestyle choice, cultural values or health needs
• If you have a health need such as PEG feed tube for medication or nutrition, then we will liaise with healthcare professionals and provide the necessary training to our care team. We can accommodate most healthcare tasks and the healthcare professionals will train our staff at your home to make sure they can meet your needs.
  
  

How do I find out more?

To arrange care services simply contact our manager, Colette Russell:

colette@edencountrycare.co.uk

Tel:  07899 706 852