What is domiciliary care and how to find the right carer

Domiciliary care is a type of care that enables people to carry on living in their own homes as independently as possible by providing them with one-to-one support with everyday tasks. This can include personal care, meal preparation, cleaning, shopping, giving medication, accompanying them to appointments, and other daily activities.

Care may just be for a few hours a week, to do the housework and shopping, or it may involve several visits each day to support a frail or vulnerable person.

Above all, domiciliary care means, as a friend or family member, you can feel confident that your loved one is safe and secure in their own home.

Who is domiciliary care for?

Domiciliary care is for anyone, of any age, who finds it hard to manage living independently but wants to remain at home rather than moving into residential care. It’s for people who want to get on with their normal lives as much as possible, in their own familiar surroundings, but with support.

Domiciliary care is suitable for people who:

• Have had a recent fall and need some extra support while regaining their confidence
• Are recovering from an accident and need to take it easy for a while
• Have recently returned home after a stay in hospital and need support while they get back to normal
• Need some temporary support following an illness that’s left them short of energy
• Live with a long-term condition such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, or cancer
• Have early-stage dementia, where they manage most tasks, but need increasing support
• Choose to have additional support to remain safely at home and out of hospital

When is the right time for domiciliary care?

It can be hard to accept help if you’re used to being fully independent. But you might consider using domiciliary care if you or a loved one:

• Needs help with personal care – washing, dressing, using the toilet, or taking medication
• Finds it hard to get out and about and needs assistance to go to medical appointments or social events
• Are recovering from a recent fall or are returning home from hospital and need support and rehabilitation
• Lives alone and needs someone to help with nutrition and general health
• Lives with mental health issues and needs support in the community
• Cares for someone else and needs respite support from reliable carers

Domiciliary care examples

Domiciliary care workers can support people of all ages with:

• Catheter care
• Companionship and social events
• Complex conditions, including orthopaedic injuries and amputation
• Everyday household tasks such as cooking and cleaning
• Gardening
• Hygiene and personal care, including continence support
• Learning disabilities
• Medical and other key appointments
• Mental health support
• Mobility and walking aids
• Night sitting
• Palliative care or end-of-life care
• PEG feeding
• Personal grooming
• Rehabilitation
• Respite care
• Shopping
• Spinal injuries care
• Taking medication at the right times

Is domiciliary care right for us?

So, how do you know if domiciliary care is right for you? Here are some questions for you or your loved one to consider:

• Are you struggling to wash or dress yourself?
• Are you worried about feeding yourself properly?
• Are you feeling a bit wobblier on your feet?
• Do you sometimes feel lonely or isolated?
• Do you forget to take your medication at the right times?
• Do you need someone to check in on you one or more times each day?
• Do you want to stay in your own home?
• Do you want personalised care that fits around your needs?
• Do you need peace of mind, knowing that you or a loved one is safe and supported at home?
• Have your circumstances changed recently so that you need more support in your home?
• Is cleaning the house or shopping too big a chore these days?
• Is it increasingly difficult to get out and about?

If the answer to any of these is ‘yes’, domiciliary care might be the right option.

How to choose the right domiciliary carer

Domiciliary care agencies must be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The CQC checks that each service meets certain criteria associated with quality and safety.

A reputable domiciliary care agency will provide fully qualified, reliable healthcare assistants and nurses who can offer many different services to people living at home. It’s worth doing some research early on before the need for care becomes urgent.

At the Nursing Guild, we recruit domiciliary care nurses and healthcare assistants to standards that exceed local regulations and guidelines. This allows us to offer a quality, bespoke, and flexible domiciliary care service that is available anywhere in Scotland and Ireland.

Domiciliary care costs and funding options

Costs of domiciliary care vary according to your requirements. In some cases, the government can contribute towards care, but this depends on your financial situation. Your local Citizens Advice or Citizens Information will be able to advise you about this.

At the Nursing Guild, we will always be transparent about any care costs. We will work with you to fully understand your needs and requirements so that we can design a package of care that is the most suitable for you or your loved one.

Domiciliary care with the Nursing Guild

The Nursing Guild can provide domiciliary care to support anyone living in Scotland and Ireland. We enable adults and children to get the right clinical support so they can remain independent and in their own homes.

Are you looking for occasional help so you can take a break? Do you need long-term regular care to support someone with an ongoing health condition? Are you searching for someone who can step in at short notice or in an emergency?

Our domiciliary care team is here for you, for as long as you need us. We’ll help you or a loved one stay as independent as possible for as long as possible, bringing confidence and peace of mind to all involved.

If you’re looking for the best domiciliary care to bring you total confidence and peace of mind, you can find out more about our service or get in touch with our Community Team.