Maintaining Independence

Your Everyday Life

1. Adult Care Assessments
2. Assessing Eligible Needs
3. Ability to meet need
4. People with complex health and social care needs
5. Help Leaving Hospital
6. Personal Care
7. Housework
8. Gardening
9. Meals
10. Luncheon Clubs
11. Good Neighbour Schemes
12. Community Visitor Service
13. Caring for Pets

 

Adult Care assessments

If you are no longer able to carry out basic tasks such as getting yourself washed and dressed or getting to the toilet, Adult care can complete an assessment. If you are assessed as needing help, they will work with you to agree your goals and identify and possibly arrange services that will benefit you. If you think you need support contact us for more information on 01437 764551.

Assessing Eligible Needs

Finding out what eligible needs a person has starts with a conversation. During this conversation we will ask what matters to you. We will ask you about your circumstances; personal outcomes, barriers to achieving those outcomes, any risks to you or to other persons and your strengths and capabilities. We will also ask you about the support you already receive and we will talk about where you can access support that you need.

There is national eligibility criteria for care and support for adults, children and carers. Eligibility is made up of 4 criteria that must be met for the need to be eligible. There is a criteria table for adults, carers and children. There is an automatic right to eligibility for those at risk of abuse or neglect. 

• Eligibility is conferred on a need not a person and is not about a right to a service.
• It is applied to guarantee access to care and support for those who cannot achieve their personal outcomes without it.
• Some needs may be met through a care and support plan and some through the access to community services.
• Community services could include those provided by public, private and 3rd sector organisations, as well as community groups, family and friends.
• If the provision of care and support cannot help the person achieve their outcomes the question of eligibility does not arise. 
  
  

Adults & Adult Carers Eligibility Criteria

1st Criteria

Their needs arise from the adult's physical or mental health, age, disability, dependence on drugs or other substances

2nd Criteria

• Ability to carry out self-care or domestic routines
• Ability to communicate
• Protection from abuse or neglect
• Involvement in work, education, learning or in leisure activities
• Maintenance or development of family or other significant personal relationships and involvement in the community
• Fulfilment of caring responsibilities for a child

3rd Criteria

As a result they are unable to meet that need, either alone or with support of willing others, or with assistance from the community

4th Criteria

As a consequence they are unlikely to achieve one or more personal outcomes unless the local authority provides or arranges care and support.

Ability to meet need

A person is regarded as being unable to meet a need if doing so:

• Causes significant pain, anxiety or distress to that person;
• Endangers or is likely to endanger the health or safety of that person or another person;
• Takes that person significantly longer than would normally be expected


People with complex health and social care needs

People who have complex health and social care needs will have their needs assessed by health and social care professionals, as part of an integrated assessment. These assessments will consider both Social care and NHS eligibility.

 

Help Leaving Hospital

Health and Social Services colleagues work closely with voluntary sector organisations to make sure your return home from a stay in hospital is safe and comfortable. A plan for your discharge from hospital will be drawn up to make sure that you get the most appropriate support when you return home. This means that leaving hospital should not be delayed unnecessarily. 

Personal care

Organisations offering personal care can offer help with getting up, going to bed, dressing, undressing, washing, bathing, personal hygiene, eating, drinking, using the toilet, managing incontinence and tooth and denture care. They may be able to help with health related tasks such as dealing with pressure sores.

All organisations offering personal and/or nursing care have to be registered with the Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) (opens in a new tab). CIW regulate and inspect social care providers and ensures they meet high standards. They also offer guidance on finding and choosing the right care services.

Housework

If you need help with cleaning the house, the Yellow Pages list companies under ‘Cleaning Services- Domestic’. You need to ask for and follow up references before employing a cleaner.

Gardening

Keeping your garden maintained can become a concern. For advice on making your garden easier to manage you can contact Thrive - Get Gardening (opens in a new tab) for tips to achieve this. 

Meals

There are various ways that help with meals can be provided. Some organisations bring a hot midday meal to your door, while others can deliver frozen or long-life meals that are easy to heat up.

Some restaurants and takeaways operate a home delivery service. Many supermarkets offer a delivery service for foods bought online.
Contact PAVS (opens in a new tab) for details of any services or groups in your area that may be able to help. Tel: 01437 769422.

Luncheon Clubs

Luncheon Clubs in Pembrokeshire are organised by local communities or voluntary organisations. Many clubs receive a subsidy from us. Any person of retirement age (60+ years) can attend a luncheon club and even if your spouse/partner is under 60 they can come with you.

Good Neighbour Schemes

Good Neighbour Schemes are currently being established throughout Pembrokeshire. The schemes are there to give a helping hand on the occasions that anyone in the community may need it.

Support is given by community members and tasks can vary from changing a light bulb to reading a meter, giving lifts or picking up some shopping.

For information on current schemes please contact: 01437 764551.

Community Visitor Service

The Community Visitor Service provides housing related support to vulnerable adults to enable you to remain as independent as possible. After assessing your needs Community Visitors will carry out regular planned home visits, and put support plans in place. The type of support that can be provided includes:

• Help to enable you to live independently at home
• Help with housing applications and advice on housing issues
• Information, advice and advocacy support
• Help to fill in forms, benefits, housing / council tax benefit
• Help to ensure you are claiming your full benefit entitlements                                                            
• Help to develop the skills necessary to set up and maintain a tenancy
• Assistance with accessing home repairs / improvements / disabled facilities grants
• Assessing need and referring onto appropriate services

To find out more about the service or to make a referral call 01437 764551.

Caring for pets

If you have difficulty exercising your dog or contacting pet care services, try your local ‘Good Neighbour’ scheme, your local church or PAVS (opens in a new tab) on 01437 769422 to see if there is anyone who can help.

Alternatively, SPPOT (opens in a new tab) is a local social enterprise that can provide dog walking services for a charge. 

If you can no longer look after your pet you can contact the Cinnamon Trust (opens in a new tab). The Trust can find both long and short-term foster carers for pets who will keep their owners informed about their welfare.

There are also a number of local animal rescue centres- contact PAVS (opens in a new tab) for details.

 

Dewis Cymru (opens in a new tab) is the place to go if you want information or advice about your well-being – or want to know how you can help somebody else.