Older people
What to ask, and which answers actually matter.
Every provider will tell you they are person-centred and that their staff are caring. The questions below are the ones where answers genuinely differ.
The questions worth asking
- “How many different people will come?” The honest answer is a small number with named cover arrangements. “We can’t guarantee that” is at least honest. “Always the same person” is not deliverable — people take leave and get ill.
- “What is your minimum visit length?” Fifteen and thirty-minute calls exist because councils commission them, not because they work well. Ask what can realistically be done in the time.
- “Are your carers employed or self-employed?” Employed staff are trained, supervised and insured by the provider. Introduction agencies work differently, and you may be the employer without realising it.
- “Do you use agency staff to cover gaps?”
- “What happens when it is not working?” Ask who you ring, how fast you get an answer, and whether you can change the worker without changing the provider.
- “Would you turn this package down?” The most useful question on the list. A provider that has never declined work is taking everything.
Reading a CQC rating properly
Every provider delivering regulated personal care in England must be registered with the Care Quality Commission and must display its rating. Four levels: Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, Inadequate.
The overall rating hides more than it shows. Look at the five individual ratings underneath — Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, Well-led — and look at the date. Inspections can be several years apart, and a rating from years ago describes the service as it was then.
Reading reviews properly
Review scores on care directories are weighted and usually discount older reviews, so a score can drift without anything changing. Check when the reviews were written and whether they describe the service you would actually receive.
Red flags
- Pressure to decide quickly, or to sign before an assessment.
- A quoted price before anyone has met the person.
- No written care plan, or one you are not shown.
- Vagueness about who will actually attend.
- Unwillingness to put the cancellation terms in writing.
Before you sign
Ask for the care plan, the full price including any evening, weekend and bank holiday rates, the notice period, and what happens if your relative goes into hospital. Get all of it in writing.
Our own approach, including what we decline, is on the care for an older person page. Costs are explained on paying for care at home.
Written by Care Horizons, an independent care provider in Yate, South Gloucestershire. General information, not financial, legal or medical advice. For benefits and funding decisions, your local council’s adult social care team and Age UK are the authoritative sources.
Nothing here is a sales pitch. If it is useful and you never call us, that is a good outcome.
If you would like to talk0117 405 4320 Send an enquiry
Before you sign
You might also find these useful.
Paying for care at homeNoticing Mum or Dad needs more helpHow we are regulated
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0117 405 4320 [email protected] Enquiries are handled by our Service Manager and Deputy Manager, with Director Vierka Hiscock overseeing every case. We normally respond within one working day.