Home Help for the Elderly in Essex: What It Is and How to Get It
If your mum or dad is starting to struggle with everyday jobs, home help is often the first and simplest step. It can mean the difference between coping and not coping, and it usually costs far less, emotionally and financially, than a move into residential care.
This guide explains what home help for the elderly covers, what support you might be able to get for free, and how to arrange it in Essex.
What is home help?
Home help is practical, non-medical support that makes day-to-day life easier. It usually includes things like:
Company and conversation, and someone to share a cuppa with
Shopping, prescription collections and local errands
Help preparing meals, and company at mealtimes
Tidying, laundry, changing beds and light cleaning
Getting to GP, hospital or dentist appointments
Friendly reminders to take medication at the right time
Regular check-in visits for peace of mind
Home help is different from home care. Home care, sometimes called domiciliary care, includes personal care such as washing, dressing and help with the toilet, and it has to be provided by an agency registered with the Care Quality Commission. If you're not sure which one your relative needs, our guide to companionship care vs personal care explains the difference.
Can you get free home help for the elderly?
It depends on your relative's needs and finances, but there are a few routes worth knowing about.
A free needs assessment from the council
Anyone who seems to need care and support can ask their local council for a free needs assessment. In most of the county that means Essex County Council's adult social care team. If your relative lives in Southend, it's Southend-on-Sea City Council. The council will look at what they need and whether they qualify for support. Whether they pay towards it depends on a financial assessment.
Short-term help after a hospital stay
The NHS doesn't usually provide ongoing home help. After a hospital stay or illness, though, your relative may be offered reablement, which is free, short-term support to help them get back on their feet, usually for a maximum of six weeks. Ask the hospital discharge team what is available before your relative comes home.
Attendance Allowance
Attendance Allowance is a benefit for people over State Pension age who need help because of a disability or health condition. It isn't means-tested, and your relative can spend it however they like, including on help at home. Read what Attendance Allowance is and how families can claim it to find out more.
Arranging private home help
Many families arrange home help privately, either because their relative doesn't qualify for council support or because they want more choice over who visits and when. If you go down this route, it's worth checking a few things first:
Are helpers enhanced DBS checked, and is the business insured?
Will your relative see the same person each time?
Can visits be changed easily as needs change?
Is the provider clear about what it does and doesn't do?
Do they offer a home visit before anything is agreed?
How to get started
Make a list of the jobs your relative is finding hard, and when in the week they could use help.
Talk to them about it. Frame it as help with jobs, not a loss of independence.
If you think they may qualify, ask the council for a needs assessment.
Speak to a couple of local providers and arrange a home visit.
Start small, perhaps one or two visits a week, and build up if it helps.
Frequently asked questions
Does the NHS provide home help for the elderly?
Not usually on an ongoing basis. The NHS may arrange short-term reablement after a hospital stay, but longer-term help at home is arranged through the council or privately.
Is home help the same as home care?
No. Home help covers practical tasks and companionship. Home care includes personal care such as washing and dressing, which must be provided by a CQC-registered agency.
How many hours of home help does my parent need?
Many people start with one or two visits a week and adjust from there. A good provider will help you work it out at the first home visit.
Talk to us about help at home
Essex Home Support is a non-medical home help service based in Leigh-on-Sea. We help older people across Southend, Rayleigh, Basildon, Chelmsford, Maldon and the villages in between with companionship, shopping, meals, appointments and light housework. We don't provide personal care, but we're always happy to point you in the right direction if that's what's needed.
Call us on 07719 634112 or see how we can help. The first home visit is free, with no pressure and no obligation.
