A care needs assessment is the normal first step if you want your local authority to consider care, equipment, adaptations or other support. The needs assessment is free; any later contribution towards services is considered separately.
Ask the correct local service
Contact adult social care at the local council and ask for an assessment. In Northern Ireland, contact the local Health and Social Care Trust. Rules and terminology vary across the four UK nations.
Show the whole day
Prepare examples from mornings, meals, medication, mobility, personal care, evenings and nights. Include fluctuating conditions and the impact on an unpaid carer.
- what cannot be done safely
- what takes much longer than expected
- what requires prompting or supervision
- what happens on a bad day
- which outcomes matter to the person
Separate needs from finances
The authority first identifies eligible needs and possible support. A financial assessment may then decide whether the council contributes and what the person pays. Ask for the decision and support plan in writing.