You can ask your local council to carry out a care needs assessment to see if you are eligible to receive funding for care and support at home. If this is the case, the council will carry out a means test on your personal financial circumstances. This will take into account your income and savings. Unless you’re moving into a care home, this won’t take into account the value of your property.

Some types of income, such as money from certain disability benefits and pensions, may not be included in the means test. This is the same for certain types of capital. All other income and capital can be taken into account.

You may wish to retain control of the choice of care provider and the timescale in which care is set up. If this is your preferred route, you can of course choose to pay for your care and support yourself. Naturally, this provides you with the freedom to select and appoint a care provider of your own choosing and may enable your care to be in place in a timescale more akin to your wishes. Read our care report.

In Safe Hands

Rated Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission we are a local, experienced, caring, friendly and dedicated team with a reputation in Bristol for providing care of the highest standards to our privately funded clients.

Private care provision will vary in price, this variance often depending on the quality and Care Quality Commission (CQC) rating of the provider.

If you are eligible for financial support to pay for homecare, you can let your local authority know you would like them to arrange what is known as a ‘direct payment’. You will then be able to select a homecare provider of your choice. This ‘direct payment’ can, if necessary, help to ‘top-up’ the cost of your chosen homecare provider.

More information on funding your care can be found on the NHS website.