Hello there,
My husband will be coming home soon having suffered a stroke.
I can do a fair bit of caring myself, but would very much like to employ somebody during the day to give me a break, give him someone else to talk to and to help hoist him, using a standing hoist, into a chair. Does anybody have any experiences with doing this - or could somebody suggest the best way to go about this?
Any comments would be appreciated.
Many thanks
Wendy
Hi Wendy,
In answer to your question, I think your options are to go through an agency or to find someone you know or by advertising to deliver the care. Are you going to be self-funding or using direct payments?
However;
Your husband should be entitled to free rehab care after being discharged for up to 6 weeks Care after illness or hospital discharge (reablement) - NHS
You can also request a Needs assessment for him Needs assessment | Carers UK
Make sure you have everything in place before he comes home. Full time caring is exhausting and demanding and it’s hard to be fighting for services alongside caring.
https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/practical-support/coming-out-of-hospital
Melly1
Hello and welcome!
This is a really huge decision to make. Make sure that you fully trust the care company. Use a good one. You can find details of registered care providers on the CQC website including the inspection reports- https://www.cqc.org.uk.
Call your local council to begin the process. A social worker can do a needs assessment with you for her. Make sure to ask questions. This is your chance to be honest and upfront make the most of it. When I was searching for a care company, I interviewed the staff and discussed various things with them too. Obtain contact information. If possible, read a few inspection reports and then decide. Pay attention to your gut impression. What does it say? Note down pros and cons of each carer. Invite them over for a trial session to see just how good they are at actually working with your disabled cared for person. Make notes of your findings. I interviewed a lot of people and talked about skills and qualifications before making a final decision.
He MUST have a proper care plan before he comes home, which details all the care he needs. That means the care he needs for a normal day, on his own, assuming he’s alone.
Do NOT agree to have him home until this has been done, aids provided, and care staff starting the day of discharge. Don’t believe a hospital that says “it will start next week”. The worst example I can give is when mum was promised physio would be arranged after discharge. That took NINE MONTHS to sort out, by which time it was far too late.