What services do care agencies offer?
There are three main services that care agencies offer. Visiting care, overnight care and live-in care. Some agencies offer all of these services, others offer just one particular type of service.
We have broken down the three types of services below, and some guidance on the average price:
Visiting Care
30 mins to 24 hours
It may be a 30 minute visit at breakfast, lunch & dinner, right up to 24 hour care, where the carers visits and goes home, 12 hour shift.
Services range from £15 - £28 /hour*
Overnight Care
Waking or Sleeping (Average 10 Hours)
Overnight care may be needed just to provide some reassurance, or to support someone who needs physical assistance at night.
Services range from £120 - £280 /night*
Live-In Care
24 Hour Care
Live-in care can be fantastic for someone who needs round the clock care, and would like to have the same carer.
Services range from £750 - £1400 /week*
*Prices are based on a Care Partnership survey of 110 care providers across England. Some providers will charge less and others will charge more.
Who to offer services to?
There are three main service user groups defined by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), children under 18, adults 18 - 65, and adults aged 65+. Most care providers register to provide care to anyone over 18.
Care for children aged 0 - 18
Commonly caring for young people with learning disabilities, physical disabilities or genetic conditions.
Care for people aged 18 - 65
Care for adults aged 18 - 65 is needed for a variety of reasons. We have listed common types of care services below.
Care for elderly aged 65+
Care for adults aged 65+ is needed for a variety of reasons, most commonly due to frailty or developing dementia.
What conditions can you provide support with? Service specialisms?
There are a number of specialist types of care you can provide as a care agency, both specific types of services and services for people with specific medical conditions. Some services will be more complex to provide than others, and require carers with specialist training, or either be overseen or provided by a qualified nurse (RGN). We have listed these below:
- Palliative care
Support provided to people at the end of their life. Often carers will work with a palliative care team, and support families, as well as the individual receiving care. At the end stages of life the main goal is to keep patients comfortable, and carers will benefit from specialist training in delivering palliative care.
- Post Hospital Care
Care provided after leaving hospital either short term or long term. This could be to support with mobility when having a hip or knee replacement, or general post-operative care provided to someone who is recovering from surgery. Often care is required quickly, and it's helpful if you have carers who are trained in providing reablement support.
- Respite Care
This is short term care provided at home to give a full-time carer so they can take a break from what is a difficult and emotional job. The length of the service often varies dependent on the plans of the client, but could be as short as 1 week, or longer.
- Frailty Care
As we age our bodies get frail and suddenly day to day tasks can become a little more difficult then they used to be. Some clients may not have any medical conditions at all, but will need support with some or all day to day activities, maybe due to reduced mobility, or becoming more forgetful, or even just needing companionship, emotional support and stimulation.
- Condition Specific Care
Some common medical conditions you will encounter, and may wishto train staff specifically around include dementia, Parkinson’s, stroke, arthritis, diabetes, people living with cancer, Huntingdon’s disease, people living with mental health conditions & heart conditions
- Complex Conditions
Often these medical conditions mean the people you support may present with complex behaviours, have complex mobility needs or require clinical intervention where carers will require specific training & observation. These are conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS), cerebral palsy, Down's syndrome, spinal injuries, acquired brain injuries, muscular dystrophy
- Nursing Led & Complex Care (Clinical Interventions)
As a result of medical conditions, some clients will need clinical support delivered by a carer with specific training and overseen by a nurse, or delivered by nursing staff, these include: catheter care, stoma and bowel care, ventilated care, peg-gastrostomy care (peg feed), tracheostomy care or oral suctioning
