to need care and support regardless of your finances or whether your needs will be eligible for local authority support. The assessment (which is free) will be carried out by a trained assessor and will consider your needs and how they impact on your well-being plus the outcomes you want to achieve. For example, this can include any assistance you may need with daily living tasks like getting dressed, whether you are lonely and your other circumstances including whether someone supports you. Once the assessor has a good idea of your needs and goals the council will consider whether you are eligible for support. There is a new national eligibility framework, introduced as part of the Care Act. This gives a clear understanding of which needs are eligible to be met by the council. For more information on the assessment process and eligible needs visit www.gov.uk and search for Care Act. To arrange an assessment, contact Kent County Council on 03000 416161. Once Kent County Council has an understanding of the care and support you may need and how much it is likely to cost, with your permission they’ll also undertake a financial assessment to determine how much you may have to pay for services to meet your needs. If you are not eligible for services or financial support from the council, they can advise you of other organisations who may be able to help meet your needs. Information on paying for care can be found on page 29 if you are receiving home care and page 57 if you are moving into a care home.
Assessments from hospital If you have been admitted to hospital and either you, your family, your carers or the ward staff think you need care or support on discharge they may, with your agreement, refer you for an assessment. The assessment team can be made up of many different professionals. The assessment will consider your needs and those of any carer who may support you. If it is decided that you have care or support needs,
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they will work with you, your family or carer to develop a suitable support plan. Services may be required from adult social care or the NHS, or private organisations and the team will work to either restart any existing services you may have had or help to arrange the appropriate services to aid your timely discharge. If you come out of hospital and need more support whilst you recover, you may be eligible for a period of enablement or intermediate care (see below for more information). Some people may be discharged without any support needs or just a little help from family or friends until they’re back on their feet.
Enablement Enablement is an intensive short-term service that helps people regain skills and confidence, for example, after a fall or hospital stay. You will need to have an assessment of your care needs to decide if you are eligible for enablement. If you are eligible an enablement worker will support you for a limited period. Enablement usually helps people to learn or relearn daily living skills. Enablement is not about doing things for you, it’s about giving you the skills and confidence to do things for yourself. It can also mean that you do not start to depend on support that could cost you money. For example, an enablement worker could help you regain your confidence following a fall, or provide support that enables you to prepare a meal if there has been a change in circumstances that means you need to cook. Through enablement they may also identify pieces of equipment that could support you to regain or maintain your independence for as long as you can.
Intermediate care This aims to give recovery and rehabilitation support to help older people regain their independence when they come out of hospital or, just as importantly, prevent them going unnecessarily into hospital. Intermediate care can be provided in your own home or in a care home, depending on
This Directory’s helpline 0800 389 2077 – information on choosing and paying for care