A Guide to Home Care in Edinburgh for 2024
Elderly and Senior Home Care Services in Edinburgh
If you or your family are searching for specific home care services in Edinburgh then this guide is here to give the information that will help you make the right choice. It does not matter if you decide to choose 1st Focus Homecare as your service provider in Edinburgh or another care company, this guide will cover some of the important things you need to look for and think about.
Types of Home Care Available in Edinburgh
Every individual has different needs, and seniors and families have a wide range of requirements when it comes to home care.
Home care may be needed on just a casual basis, where the service user is active both physically and mentally but may need companionship.
Then on the other scale of care, there may be a need for families of seniors to plan for palliative end-of-life care. Let’s look at the various care options open to you and how these care services work.
Companionship Care
Nobody likes to be lonely, and companionship care is a great way for you to stay active mentally. Having somebody to talk to, even if it’s for one or two hours a day, is a great way to keep yourself active.
That could be watching your favourite TV programme with somebody, doing your favourite crossword puzzle as a team with your carer, or even taking a trip to the local swimming pool or cinema.
The costs of this type of care can vary depending on the company that you choose but is a good investment, particularly for your mental health.
You can see if there is a possibility of having this care funded by visiting Care Information Scotland
You will likely need to undertake a care assessment to see what levels of care you qualify for. If this process proves too difficult or you need some advice, feel free to send us an email or give us a call. We are happy to answer your questions.
Overnight Care
Depending on your needs, you may wish to have care support overnight or personal care. This is usually needed by seniors who need help with getting in and out of bed, getting dressed, or needing support with medical and breathing devices like oxygen supply.
This type of care also covers bathing, washing, helping with any problems of incontinence, and making sure the service user is taking his/her medications correctly.
Live In Care
There may come a point where you would need more dedicated home care support by having a “live-in” carer. Hopefully, this will not be needed, but it is good to think about this and how it would work for you.
Live-in care means you will have support 24 hours per day to support you with all of your daily tasks. The carer lives in a separate room in your house or flat.
This provides you peace of mind and security which is a key benefit for seniors.
The major benefit of Live-In Care in Edinburgh is that you do not have to give up your home and move to a residential care home. We all love to be surrounded by the things we love, and this care option allows for that.
Live-in care can be expensive, but there are options for the support of costs from your local council.
Respite Care for Carers
If you are being helped at home by a family member, then it is important to understand that this individual may find it both physically and mentally demanding to give care, especially if this takes up a large part of the day or night.
The mental health of carers has become more and more of an issue in recent years, and it is important for the person being cared for, and the carer themselves to understand the need for respite care.
In Edinburgh and across Scotland, support is available for a short stay in a residential location or for a temporary care worker to come in to provide home help, while the main carer takes a break or a holiday.
You can get financial support for respite care by contacting Social Care Direct at Edinburgh Council.
And always feel free to contact us at 1st Focus Care if you need any advice about respite care
One of the hardest things to see, is a loved one taken away, not in the physical sense but in the daily sense.
Dementia is a disease that causes more grief to many than physical death, and it is at this time that the individual needs physical help and support and the family needs mental health support.
There are several different types of dementia with Alzheimer's being the most common.However, there are other types of dementia.
Alzheimer’s Disease - affects 1 in 14 seniors over the age of 65
Vascular Dementia - caused by problems of blood supply to the brain
Lewy Body Dementia - caused by abnormal groupings of protein in the brain cells
Frontotemporal Dementia - causes changes in language and speech capability
Mixed Dementia - commonly a combination of Alzheimer’s and Vascular Dementia -
You can learn more about the disease by researching information from Dementia UK
End Of Life Care
At some point, you or your family will be faced with the situation of needing this type of support. This can be a period which is both physically and mentally stressful for the family.
Losing a loved one is always hard, but having professional carers at this time is something that can support you through this process.
This is not just about the end-of-life care itself for the individual but also about the potential need for bereavement counselling for family members after the individual has passed.
A telephone helpline is available to families at the national bereavement helpline provided by Cruse Scotland
What is the Role of the Care Inspectorate in Scotland
The Care Inspectorate is a government body which is the regulator for all care homes and care companies in Scotland.
Their role is to make sure that any company doing business in the care sector are working to an agreed set of standards.
There are more than 11,000 care organisations in Scotland and each one is visited by the care inspectorate, who have over 600 employees.
The organisation makes sure that all companies, just like the three companies below, follow best practices. They also make sure that all employees working in the sector are members of the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC)
You can contact the Care Inspectorate at the following address and telephone number.
Edinburgh
3 C & D South
Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ
Tel: 0345 600 9527
Which Edinburgh Home Care Providers Have the Best Reviews?
The best source to find independent reviews of home care companies in Edinburgh is visiting the site at the Homecare Review Site
This is a site that carries out independent reviews of care homes and day care companies in Edinburgh and the surrounding areas.
At the time of writing this guide, their top 3 companies were:
Each of the above companies offers top-quality and compassionate care services in the Edinburgh area, and of course, we at 1st Focus Home Care are proud to be voted number one by this independent body.
What Support Services Are Available to Seniors in the Lothian and Midlothian Regions?
There is a wide range of care companies and services to choose from in the region and different companies will provide different services, with some companies specialising in certain areas.
From that point of view, it is always good to undertake research before making a choice about your home care provider.In terms of support, we have listed below five of the key organisations that you can contact for support and advice.
If you need further information about any of the above services, feel free to contact us. We are always happy to advise on support services for people who are looking to obtain care support at home in Edinburgh.
There are several avenues open to you if you are looking to obtain care for yourself at home or maybe if you are reading this, you may be asking the same question on behalf of a family member.
Below you will find the options available and the types of support you can get from your local government office.
Free Care
In Scotland, anyone over the age of 65 is entitled to free care. This free care is used for personal care, meal preparation and any medical assistance that is needed.
Funded Care
Funded care is available for home care and also if somebody needs to go into a care home. This however is based on an assessment and has a cap of £880 per week. If funding is available under this scheme then the user may ask the council to find the care provider.
Self Directed Funding
Self-directed funding is very similar to funded care, but in this instance, the receiver of the care is given the funding and can choose a private company to provide the care.
The thing to consider here is that with self-directed funding to a private care company, your budget will not stretch as far and you would need to cover any difference in the cost.
Conclusion
In this guide, we have tried to provide you with as much information as possible, and have provided links to many government bodies that can help you.
We appreciate this can be daunting to seniors to make telephone calls to many different institutions and that for some technology can be a barrier.
Therefore, if you or your family need any more information about homecare in Edinburgh, then feel free to contact our team at 1st Focus Homecare.
1st Focus Homecare is run by a local medical specialist and serving paramedic Scott Falconer and his team.
They are always on hand to take questions and give advice where needed.