Community Care

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Some of the main ideas behind community care are:

• Everyone should get the help they need to live in their own home in the community wherever possible, although sometimes there is not enough money to provide everything that is ideally needed.
• There should be an assessment offered to anyone needing help to see exactly what would be the best way of organising whatever is required.
• People needing residential care who need help to pay for it will also have a financial assessment.
• The needs of carers should also be looked at carefully. If you are a carer, you can ask for a separate assessment to look at any support you may need see Carers Assessments.

Local Authorities have a clear responsibility under the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 to assess peoples needs and to design suitable care arrangements. They try to help as many people as possible with the money they have to spend. There are guidelines to help services decide what to focus their attention on to make the best use of the money available.

In Leeds, they aim to help people:

• Manage in their own homes if they want to, or choose a suitable alternative.
• With practical tasks, nursing, personal or medical care, and to make sure they are not in any danger.
• Who are caring for someone else.

There may be situations where it is very difficult to organise the support that is needed, but they will do whatever is possible.

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