Options for Care

Options for Care

A General Practitioner (GP) has overall responsibility for patient care but will often engage with, or signpost to other agencies which provide general or specialist additional care.

The District and Community Nursing teams are part of the NHS and work closely with GP Surgeries and other healthcare providers. If a need for additional care is identified, which is outside the scope of the District Nurses, they will make a referral on the patients behalf to other services such as Community Nurse Specialists, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapist and other agencies, for example Macmillan, Marie Curie or ourselves.

If more regular care is needed to support patients, there are several options through national and local providers of assisted living services. Often non-medical care is referred to as Domiciliary Care with providers being registered, approved and subject to inspection by the Care Quality Commission.

A patient and their family may wish to choose a particular care provider. This could be a Care or a Nursing Agency, which generally charge an hourly fee for the care provided. If a full time ‘live in’ carer is required the agency may charge a daily or weekly fee.

An internet search should identify sources of care within the patients local area which have been inspected by the Care Quality Commission. The following link may help to identify providers and provide information about any inspections care organisations may have had Care Quality Commision Care Services.

Occasionally, the needs of a patient or the absence of available family support, may mean that the only option for safe care to be provided is through Residential Care where a patient will live in a purpose built or modified building, supported by Nurses and or Healthcare assistants. The Care Quality Commission also regulates and is a useful guide to locate Residential Care Homes.

As a patient’s illness progresses it may be appropriate to involve a local Hospice service, either to provide support at home or if applicable through admission into a residential Hospice facility. The Hospice UK  website provides details of the locations and services offered by hospices throughout the UK and a 25 mile radius of the geographical area that we cover.

Within the area covered by Shipston Home Nursing there are a number of Hospice facilities and Hospice at Home Services which collectively work together to meet the needs of patients and families.

In addition to the Hospice at Home service offered by Shipston Home Nursing there are a number of similar local charities. To find out more about our sister charities and the services they provide please click below:

The Myton Hospice

The Shakespeare Hospice

Campden Home Nursing

Katharine House Hospice

Your SHN Nurse will be happy to discuss any of these options with you.