Services and Support

In Scotland anyone aged 65 or over is entitled to free personal care, if assessed as needing it. Free nursing care is available to anyone of any age assessed as requiring it.

Arrangements in England and Wales are different, personal care is means tested and currently local authorities won’t provide care services if you have more than £23,250 in savings and property. Advice on funding care in England and Wales is available from NHS Choices here.

Your local authority will try to establish whether you need care and if so (in Scotland) pay for help:

  • to maintain your personal hygiene
  • manage your continence
  • assist with the preparation of food and fulfill any special dietary needs
    to maintain mobility
  • with counselling and support
  • to ensure medication is properly managed, and
  • personal assistance to get into and out of bed, to dress, and to use medical aids and prostheses

In addition, local authorities may arrange but may charge subject to a financial assessment for help with:

  • housework
  • laundry
  • shopping
  • attendance at Day Centres
  • providing pre-prepared meals (support with preparing meals is free)

If you receive free personal care in your home, you are also entitled to attendance allowance to enable someone to take on caring responsibilities. Information on employing a personal assistant is available from the Money Advice Service here. Carers are also entitled to support.

If you need to modify your home in order to continue living independently, then your local authority will be able to provide advice and information on what support is available.

The Scottish Government has produced a booklet providing information on Free Personal and Nursing Care. It is available here. If you require help figuring out which support you are entitled to, get in touch and we will help research and signpost on your behalf.

Support towards the end of your life

You are entitled to a broad range of support, not just medical care, at the end of life.

NHS Choices provides information on what you can expect from end of life care here. But in our experience other support is not always as forthcoming as it should be. It’s important that you know what support you are entitled to, and that, once you are assessed re what care you need, there is a legal obligation on social services to meet your needs.

In addition to statutory care provide by the NHS and Local Authority Social Services there may also be a range of discretionary care provided by other bodies.