What you need to arrange care

Getting help to care for someone

Caring for someone can be rewarding, but it can also be physically and emotionally demanding. It’s okay to need extra help, especially as the needs of the person you care for change over time.

There are different ways to get support, and what works best will depend on your situation. You might need to try a few options before finding the right one.

Getting extra help from a care worker

One option is to arrange help from care workers (also known as home carers or domiciliary carers). They can support the person you care for with everyday tasks like:

washing and dressing
preparing meals
taking medication
moving around safely

This kind of support can make a big difference, not just for the person you care for, but for you too. It can give you time to rest, focus on other responsibilities, or simply take a break.

Care workers can visit regularly, ranging from a few hours a week to several times a day, depending on what’s needed. You can also arrange live-in care for round-the-clock support.

There are two main ways to arrange care:

Through a care agency – they handle recruitment, training, pay, and cover if someone is off sick.
By employing someone directly – this can offer more consistency and control, but it also means you take on responsibilities as an employer.

Using a care agency usually costs more than hiring someone yourself. But if you employ someone directly, you’ll need to manage things like contracts, tax, and insurance.

You can find more information about choosing and employing a carer or personal assistant in our support at home section.

Specialist equipment and clothing

Special equipment, aids or clothing can help the person you care for live more independently.

The Ask Sara website gives personalised advice and suggests tools to make everyday tasks easier.
You can also use our community directory to find companies that sell equipment and clothing to improve a persons quality of life.

Technology

Technology can help people manage their care more easily, especially if they have a health condition or disability.

The council’s Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Service helps people stay safe at home.

You can also find assistive technology services in our community directory, including:

Personal alarms – to call for help in an emergency
Fall sensors – to detect if someone has fallen and alert a carer or response team
Key safes – to allow trusted people to access the home securely
Communication aids – to support people with speech, hearing, or cognitive difficulties

These tools can support independent living and give peace of mind to individuals and those that care for them.

Home adaptations

If the person you care for needs changes to their home, like wider doors, a stairlift or easier-to-use light switches, they might be able to get a grant to help pay for it.

Visit our Disabled Facilities Grant web page to find out more.

Long term care options

Sometimes, the person you care for may not be able to live safely at home anymore. There are different types of housing and care homes to suit different needs.

You can learn more in the Care and nursing homes section of our website.