Homecare question

Living with Parkinson's Carers, friends and family
1

My husband has been assessed as needing 2 hours a day of care, which is currently managed and funded by the council (not direct payments).

Does anyone know, if we were to change over to direct payments and select a homecare agency that charges more per hour than the council would fund (but would much better meet his needs), would it be ok for him to use less hours than he has been assessed as needing, to reduce the amount of money we would need to top-up by each month to use this better agency? Or would his number of hours of funding be reduced by social services if they notice less hours of care being used?

I am thinking that we could make do with 11 hours of homecare a week, and that I can cover what would have been done during the other 3 hours. It would be great to continue with 14 hours of homecare a week, but we simply can’t finance an additional £500 a month right now, so reducing his paid care by 3 hours a week would take it down to just under £100 extra a month, which is more doable. Thanks.

2

Hi Lauren,

Welcome to our community forum. You should hear from our members soon, many of whom have had similar questions. We would also recommend you reach out to our free and confidential helpline on 0808 800 0303, as helping with financial aid is one of the many services they provide. You may also wish to have a look at this page of our website for more information: Support for you | Parkinson's UK.

We hope these tools can help, and with our warmest welcome,

Jason
Forum Moderator

3

Good evening Lauren … I am 71 & live alone & have Parkinson’s. My GP referred me to the PCN care who were a great help to me in all matters. See bellow.

Best wishes
Steve2

Primary Care Networks (PCNs) are groups of GP practices working together with other health and care providers to deliver a wider range of services to a local population. They aim to provide more proactive, personalized, coordinated, and integrated health and social care, moving beyond reactive appointment-based care. PCNs are based on GP registered patient lists and typically serve communities of 30,000 to 50,000 people.

Here’s a more detailed look:

  • Purpose:

PCNs were formally established in 2019 through the NHS Long Term Plan to improve the coordination and integration of primary, mental health, and community care.

  • Collaborative Approach:

PCNs involve a wider range of health and care providers beyond just GPs, including social care, voluntary organizations, and other healthcare professionals.

  • Enhanced Services:

They deliver a wider range of services than individual GP practices could, potentially including access to specialists, better chronic disease management, and more comprehensive health and social care support.

  • Focus on Prevention and Early Intervention:

PCNs are also focused on preventing health problems and intervening early to address chronic conditions, potentially through programs like proactive care for the frail, elderly, or those with long-term conditions.

  • Leadership:

PCNs are led by clinical directors, who may be GPs, general practice nurses, or other clinical professionals.

  • Funding:

PCNs receive funding through Directed Enhanced Services (DES), specifically for services delivered through the network, and can also earn additional funding through incentive schemes like the Investment and Impact Fund.