​1. How is your loved one's hearing?

You will be asked whether your loved one uses hearing aids, or is hard of hearing. This is so that Carers can be pepped to speak loud and clear if the client needs it.

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2. How is your loved one's speech?

The assessor will ask whether your loved one has any speech impairments or difficulties so that Carers can be made aware before visiting.

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3. How is your loved one's eyesight?

Be prepared to be asked whether your loved one is registered blind, whether they wear glasses/contact lenses and if they are prone to falls due to poor eyesight.

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4. How is your loved one's mobility?

You will be asked whether your loved one has any mobility issues e.g. whether they are bed-bound, use walking aids or require hoisting. This is so that the home care company can arrange for the appropriate Carers and the number of Carers to visit.

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5. How is your loved one's comprehension?

You’ll likely be asked whether it is easy to understand your loved one and what they are trying to communicate and vice versa so that Carers can be briefed before visits.

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6. How is your loved one's memory?

Your assessor will be interested to know whether your loved one has been diagnosed or is suspected of having dementia. Do they suffer from forgetfulness? Do they often lose things?

Do they ever get lost?

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7. How is your loved one's mental health?

You will be asked whether you have any current concerns about your loved one’s mental health and whether they have a history of mental health illnesses.

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Care Needs Assessment

The care needs assessment aims to establish the exact support the client needs during their home care visits.

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1. Is your loved one able to get themselves in and out of bed unassisted?

You will likely be asked whether your loved one requires assistance or hoisting when getting in and out of bed so that appropriate support can be arranged.

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2. Is your loved one able to manage their own personal care such as washing and toileting?

Please ensure that you have an understanding of the kind of support your loved one requires, whether they have any incontinence issues and/or whether they have a catheter/colostomy bag.

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3. Does your loved one require support with taking medication?

Be prepared to be asked about the medication your loved one is on and whether they need any support/prompts to take it. They will likely ask whether they take their medication a specific way, at certain times, and how frequently they take it.

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4. Does your loved one require support with preparing meals and beverages?

Your assessor will ask whether your loved one is able to cook and make drinks unassisted so that they know whether the Carers will need to support them with these tasks.

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5. Does your loved one require support with household tasks?

In order to gauge whether your loved one will need help with household tasks, they will ask whether they need support with cleaning, laundry etc.

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6. Will your loved one require assistance with attending social activities?

Please be prepared with your loved ones’ social activities calendar as you will likely get asked whether they attend any regular clubs, coffee mornings, church etc. This is so that they can tailor the care plan to provide support at these times.

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7. Will your loved one require support with attending appointments?

It’s important to be aware of any regular appointments your loved one has; these could be doctor's appointments, hearing/eyesight tests etc. This will allow the company to allocate visits appropriately.

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Environment Assessment

Habitus Homecare will need to establish whether we can safely deliver care to the individual in their home environment. We will be looking at whether there are any unreasonable risks to our care team as well as the client. A Moving & Handling assessment will be undertaken to establish whether there is any specialist equipment currently being used or required to deliver care safely.

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