Swansea Council recently made changes to the domiciliary care service in the region in a bid to boost the sector and improve the quality of care that people receive in their homes.
This is critical in a time where people want to live independently at home along with the rising costs of residential and nursing homes.
New Contracts
In late 2019, new contracts were awarded to domiciliary care companies in Swansea which resulted in around 275 people receiving care from a new provider. These companies assist the elderly in their own homes and can assist with washing, dressing, medication, cooking and anything else where they might need help.
Better Care
The new contracts were more expensive than the previous ones, but it was determined that the quality of service was more important than the price and the goal was to ensure that there were enough carers to cover the entire county, including more rural areas which has been problematic in the past in times of travel times between houses.
Smooth Transition
The majority of those requiring domiciliary care in Swansea will see no change to their plan, however, which will help to ensure that there is a smooth transition and no one will see a reduction in the care hours that they receive as a result of the new contracts. It is a requirement by law to look at these contracts on a regular basis as a public body, but Swansea wanted to use the opportunity to improve the service provided even if it cost more money.
Cabinet member for Care, Health & Ageing Well, Mark Child explained:
“As they grow older, more and more people want to remain in their own homes and we are want to make sure that we strengthen the service to ensure there are enough providers with enough well-trained staff to help them to do so”.
Protection
For domiciliary care providers, there are still policies which are required regardless of any changes implemented by the Council. Having high-quality care agency insurance in place is essential and will provide financial protection for your business, as well as help you to remain compliant and receive advice to help you to provide the best level of care to your clients.
With an ageing population and more and more people wanting to receive care in their own homes, domiciliary care is a sector on the rise but it is important that people are able to get the care that they need. Swansea Council has taken action with these new contracts, which should make a big difference to the lives of those receiving domiciliary care in the county.
