Flexicare Housing
Flexicare housing is the name we use in Hertfordshire for what is sometimes called extra care housing. North Hertfordshire Homes provides this service in association with Hertfordshire County Council.
Contents
What is Flexicare Housing?
Scheme Manager
Senior Care Officer
Putting the care into Flexicare
Levels of Flexicare
Safety & Security
How do i apply?
What is Flexicare Housing?
Flexicare housing is specifically for people aged 55 years and over who may require on-site care.
It gives tenants the opportunity to live in a self-contained flat with their own front door and maintain their independence, while having use of communal facilities.
Flexicare housing may suit you if you:
• are finding it hard to cope in your existing accommodation
• are already receiving home care services
• have unpredictable care needs
• have few care needs now but want to prepare for the future
• are finding it hard to cope in your existing accommodation
• are already receiving home care services
• have unpredictable care needs
• have few care needs now but want to prepare for the future
Care is available 24 hours a day provided by staff based on the same site. Even if you don’t need regular care it can be reassuring to know that someone is there if you fall, or feel ill or unsafe. The level of care and support provided can be changed if your needs change. Flexicare housing is also suitable for couples who have different care needs.
Our Flexicare housing schemes have a mix of tenants – from those who currently have no care needs to those who need a lot of help. For many, a flat in a Flexicare housing scheme is a home for life – avoiding the need for a move to a residential care home. Residents are free to come and go and invite friends to visit, just as you would if you lived elsewhere.
All our schemes offer unique facilities. A brief summary of the amenities available at each scheme is can be requested from the Supported Housing team.
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Scheme Manager
Each scheme has a Scheme Manager. They are experienced, professional people who can provide support to you and act as a co-ordinator for the assessment and provision of other care and support services.
The Scheme Managers are usually available during the hours of 8.30am and 4.30pm Monday to Thursday and 8.30am to 4.00pm on a Friday.
The Scheme Manager has overall housing management responsibility for the scheme and grounds.
Their role is varied and some of the key tasks include:
• meeting prospective tenants to discuss their support needs and how to achieve the best outcomes from the service
• conducting a joint assessment of your needs with the Senior Care Officer
• responding to emergencies during office hours
• management of the building, including responsibility for monitoring health and safety, fire safety, security and repairs
• management of the scheme office, including maintaining all records and equipment
• resident involvement and consultation on issues relevant to your scheme
• encouraging social activities both inside and outside of the scheme
• marketing of the scheme and development of community links
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Senior Care Officer
The Senior Care Officers manage the domiciliary care provided by our qualified in-house care team.
They monitor and support the work of Care Assistants who provide hands on care to individual residents. The Senior Care Officers ensure that care plans are updated, appropriate risk assessments are carried out and that these are regularly reviewed.
Senior Care Officers will work very closely with Scheme Managers to ensure that the day-to-day provision of care is tied in to housing supportneeds which may impact on residents.
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Putting the care into Flexicare
Care is available on-site 24 hours a day, seven days a week, whenever it is required to help you maintain your independence.
It can cover helping you with personal care, getting you up and dressed, helping you manage your prescription medicines or perhaps helping you with meal preparation. If you don’t feel you need help with these things now, that’s great, but if your needs do change – for a short time, or more permanently – the help is on hand.
Because the care is on-site, it’s quick and easy to get help if you need it. Potential problems can be caught early and care at the right time can even prevent hospital admissions. If you do have a stay in hospital, you could return home much sooner because after-care is on hand. This means you, your relatives and friends can be confident about what happens when you get home from hospital.
Couples who have different care needs can usually stay together in Flexicare housing. The support you get in caring for your partner means you both have peace of mind and can enjoy your time together much more.
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Levels of Flexicare
The amount you pay for your care depends on the level of care you need and your financial situation. Together with Hertfordshire County Council’s Adult Care Services, we will discuss your care needs and the way you would like these needs to be met.
Some people on low incomes are entitled to Housing Benefit and free home care. Some people pay rent and a weekly charge, based on their income, to help towards the costs of care and support.
You will be jointly assessed for the level of care you need (this is simplified into low, medium or high). You won’t pay more than you can afford. Emergency care will always be available to anyone.
Depending on your changing needs, you can move up and down within your specified level of care without reassessment. However, if the level of care you need changes significantly, then you will be reassessed to see if you need to move up (or down) to another level of care.
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Safety & Security
Good security helps everyone
If you would like more information about the specific costs involved, please contact Hertfordshire County Council’s Health & Community Services on 0300 123 4042 or visit www.hertsdirect.org/hcsAll staff carry their own identification card with a photograph when they visit your home. If anyone calls claiming to be a representative of NHH, always ask to see their identification. If in doubt do not let them in and immediately contact the Head Office or the police.
Alarm System
These systems are used to summon help in an emergency at any time of the day or night.
• Activating these alarms during normal working hours will automatically alert the in-house care team.
• After 10pm, the alarms will alert Careline (our response service) who will immediately respond by taking the appropriate action or notifying the on-site care team.
• Should the alarms be set off by accident, the operator will check that all is well and then reset the system.
• Careline is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Access to your flat
We will respect your privacy at all times. All staff have access to a master key to all the flats in the building, but they will only enter your home:
• by invitation
• with your permission if you are away and we need to access your home – for example to carry out repairs
• in an emergency
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How do I apply?
Applicants must complete and return a Common Housing Register Form and Medical Form to register for our Flexicare housing. These can be obtained from one of our local neighbourhood offices.
You will also need to be jointly assessed by North Hertfordshire Homes and Health & Community Services.
Following your assessment, a decision will be made by a joint panel to confirm your application.
For more information contact the Supported Housing Team 01462 704110 or email supported.housing@nhh.org.uk
