Care and support for the person you care for

If you are a carer and the person you care for hasn’t already considered getting care and support help, you might want to see what we can offer so you can talk through their options with them.

The person you care for may be able to get help with their care needs, allowing them to stay more independent and having a positive impact on both of you.

There are a lot of different care services in Luton. We aim to help people stay independent and carry on living in their own homes wherever possible. When this is not possible we help people to be looked after in residential, or nursing, care homes.

Reasons why people might not want to ask for help…

• maybe they don’t know what sort of help is available
• maybe they are worried they will lose their independence
• maybe they are worried they will be given a service they don’t really want
• maybe they don’t understand if, or how much, they will have to pay

Care and support services are all about the individual…

As their carer you are a vital part of their life, but you both may feel that extra care is needed. Knowing that the person you look after is in control of their support at all times will help to give you peace of mind.

Council-funded care and support is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ system. We look at everyone’s situation separately. We see everyone as an individual and give them choice, control and flexibility of their own care:

• we ask everyone individually about the things that are important to them. Then we clearly explain the care options available to help them
• our aim is to keep people as independent as possible. We will not make people use a service if they don’t agree
• people who are eligible to receive council care can choose their own care providers and manage their own care budgets, so they can choose the services that fit their individual needs
• we give people a financial assessment to look at their own individual circumstances. From this we work out if they will have to pay, and if so, how much will they have to pay
• and we will be there to offer support and advice along the way

The links below will give you a good idea of some of the services available, so you can help and support the person you care for.

• Getting help for someone who is elderly
• Getting help for an adult who has a physical or learning disability