I need to arrange care, where do I start?
It can be overwhelming knowing where to begin when it comes to arranging care. That’s why we’re here to guide you through the process step-by-step.
Meet Rosie
“Mum needed care quite suddenly, so it was all a bit stressful and rushed. Understanding the process and knowing where to start was really hard to find. I spoke to Jamie on the customer care team, who helped guide me through the process”
Follow Rosie’s journey on how she helped her choose and move into a care home.
Step 1
Find out what care you need
In order to find out what care you need, your council will need to do a free assessment – this is called a care needs assessment. We can put you in contact with your local authority to request an assessment, call us free on 0345 600 4622^ to get started or if you live in England or Wales you can apply online here
"First thing we did was speak to the local authority and arrange a care needs assessment, it was free and happened quite quickly”
Step 2
Agree a care plan
After the care needs assessment, you’ll be provided with a copy of the agreed care plan. This is agreed between yourself, family members, carers, health professionals and your GP, to make sure everyone's on the same page.
“We had a care plan agreed with mum’s nurse, GP and myself and the local authority carried out an assessment of her finances to see if they can offer any support.”
Step 3
Have a financial assessment
After you’ve had the care needs assessment and everyone is happy with the care plan, there will be a financial assessment. This is undertaken by the local authority and will try to determine how much you will need to contribute to your care based on your circumstances.
“Mum lives in England and has £18,000 worth of capital. That meant the local authority were happy to help, but they’d deduct £15 from their weekly contributions as she was £3,750 over the lower limit.”
Step 4
Your local authority will let you know how much support they will provide
After the financial assessment your local authority will write to you and let you know how much they will be paying towards your care. How much they will pay will depend on the type of care you need, the area you live in and your own personal circumstances.
“After the financial means test, we were given a budget the local authority would give us, it helped, but we did need to top it up.”
I didn’t have to sell mums home
“Mum was living with her sister Carol, who she owned her home with. Carol is 71, meaning they weren’t expected to sell their home.”
Step 5
Find a care home that meets your needs
At this stage your local authority will be able to provide you with a number of homes that meet your needs and budget. If they’re unable to provide a care home that meets this criteria, they must fund an alternative home.
“After looking around our local area, there were five houses we liked. We spoke to Keith, in the customer care team who helped us narrow it down to three and then booked visits for us. He also helped us find other funding that was available to us.”
Step 6
Book to view a few care homes
Once you’ve got a shortlist, you’ll want to take a visit to the care homes you’re considering. There may be a number of things you’ll want to ask and see for yourself. It’s worth downloading our handy guides and speaking to our customer care team afterwards, as they’ll be able to answer any extra questions you have.
“Keith booked appointments for us, gave us a checklist and provided questions we should ask.”
Our local authority covered most of the cost
“The home Mum liked best had higher fees than in her agreed budget, so I chose to pay a third party top up fee to cover the difference.”
Step 7
Visit a few care homes and meet the manager and nurses
We recommend viewing all of the care homes on your shortlist so you can get a real feel for the place. It’s also a great opportunity to speak to the care home manager, the nurses, chefs and even residents and family members if they’re around.
“We went to see three homes, one of those homes was Field House. We met April at Field House where we had a lovely bit of lunch in the gardens. Our care adviser, Keith was on hand afterwards to see how it went. We decided Field House was our preferred choice.”
Step 8
Have a free Bupa care home assessment
Anyone coming to stay with us in a Bupa care home will need to have an assessment to check that we can care for their needs. This can be done at any time – even if you’re yet to have the local authority assessment.
“Once we’d chosen Field House, Keith set us up with an assessment with the home manager and staff.”
Step 9
Move in and settle into life in your new home
From the day our residents move in, we do everything we can to ease any worries as they settle in. There'll be a warm welcome waiting for them, as well as support for the whole family while everyone adjusts to the change.
Read more about life in a care home
“We helped mum move into her room, she took bits of furniture and items that meant a lot to her. She had a lovely view and was immediately invited to join in the activities.”
Step 10
Review funding and care needs regularly
We’ll continue to review both the care needs and financial needs of our residents to ensure they’re getting the correct level of care and funding from the local authority.
If your financial situation changes contact your local authority as you may be eligible for more funding.
“After a few years, mum’s capital fell close to the lower capital limit of £14,250, so we got back in touch with her local authority to see if they could help.
After another financial assessment, they said she had fallen below the lower capital limit and they would now fully fund her care.”
Care home costs
We can help you work out the likely cost of care and how you might pay for it. For example, you could get financial help from your local authority, or you might consider a care annuity (ensuring a regular income towards your care costs), or a type of equity release called a lifetime mortgage. We can also discuss whether you need specialist care, perhaps for dementia, palliative or respite care, as this can be more costly
Figuring out how to pay for care can be a worry, so we're here to help. Check out our page all about it, give us a call, or download our free guides.
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Help when you need it
Choosing a care home can be stressful, especially if you've never done it before. Where do you start? Well, right here. Our helpful, understanding care advisers offer free advice on anything from funding to finding just the right home.
Call a customer care adviser on 0345 600 4622^
Ask us to assess your situation and talk to you about paying for care, and how funding works.
Find care homes that might be right for you, and book one or more visits.
^ Lines are open 8am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 12.30pm Saturday. Closed Sundays and bank holidays. Calls are charged at no more than local rate and count towards any inclusive minutes from mobiles. We may record or monitor our calls.
