Home assessments are a key part of the process here at Happy to Help Gateshead for all new clients.
They help you to get to know us, and it helps us to get to know you, your needs, your preferences and, if requested, your loved ones, who you might like us to keep in touch with about your home help services.
Inviting a stranger into your home can be daunting.
You might worry about what people think of your home if you’ve struggled to keep on top of things for a while, or you might be anxious about whether or not the service is right for you.
We understand this can make people feel like putting off making that initial call to ask for the support they need and deserve.
To put your mind at rest, Happy to Help Gateshead (Gateshead's home help charity) takes you through the commonly asked questions about our home assessments so our informal and friendly process feels a bit more familiar before we even step through the door.
Here are the questions we cover. Feel free to go straight to the answer you're looking for by clicking on the relevant question.
What is a Home Help Assessment
After making the first call or email to Happy to Help Gateshead, a home assessment is often the next step that clients take when accessing support at home.
A home assessment is a perfect opportunity to meet the person who coordinates your care and makes sure it is designed with you and your needs, wishes and values in mind. We spend some time getting to know you, we tell you about Happy to Help Gateshead and what we offer, and we ask a few questions to help understand exactly what we can do to make sure you get everything you need and want from a home help and cleaning service, done in a way that matches your preferences. But if you really aren’t sure what your preferences are, or what you need, don’t worry. Our project coordinator, Liz, is an expert in helping you to come up with the perfect plan.
If you are too nervous for a home assessment straight away, we can just pop out for a chat and to leave some information first, and follow this up with a telephone call to see if you are feeling more confident about a longer home visit. Or we can even post information out and then follow up with a telephone call, or we can leave it up to you to contact us when the time feels right.
Why is a home assessment necessary?
Without a home assessment, our clients wouldn’t get the best service they possibly can. We believe that personalised home help and cleaning plans are the very best, and a home assessment is the perfect way to make this happen, right from the beginning.
It’s also a great way for you to decide if Happy to Help Gateshead is the right fit for you too, and to ask any questions to help you to decide whether or not to proceed.
Who carries out the home assessment?
Each home help assessment is carried out by our home help coordinator, Liz.
Liz has been a home help assistant herself in the past, and has been coordinating our home help team, and carrying out home assessments for many years now.
She is so passionate about making sure that each client gets the most out of the service, and is skilled at matching our clients with a home help assistant she knows will get on great together.
During the telephone call before a home assessment, Liz will ask for your preferences for when she arrives, and she follows these instructions, such as knocking on a specific door for example, so that you feel comfortable right from the start.
What questions do you ask me?
Because home help assessments are personal, Liz takes a personalised approach, which means some questions we ask one person, we might not need to ask another. Here’s just a few of the standard questions that Liz might ask…
what tasks are you struggling with?
what tasks can you manage and want to do yourself? (For example, if you want to clean surfaces that are waist height, we can take care of higher or lower surfaces, or maybe you enjoy dusting items that have sentimental value for instance)
We follow your lead on what support you want, and may gently suggest some tasks if you're unsure, but we always check that you're 100% happy.
We also ask which tasks are the most important to you for us to take care of, such as:-
changing the bed, and how often you want us to do this
concentrating on the areas used most frequently
if you would like us to clean certain areas before a loved one visits/comes to stay
We also ask your preference for when the home help visits take place. If mornings are a struggle for you, we can arrange an afternoon visit for example, or if you go out on certain days of the week, we can schedule your visit for a day that you're always at home. We also take into consideration any other support you might receive, such as a regular carer or nurse visit, and we avoid those times so that your privacy is respected.
Is there a charge/fee for a home assessment?
No, we never charge for a home assessment.
Should I have someone there with me?
We always welcome any loved ones, carers, a neighbour or a health professional (such as an occupational therapist or a social worker) or any other person you'd like too attend your home assessment. Some people like to have the reassurance of someone they know to be there to remember key information, ask questions that you might not think to ask, or to introduce the person/people to us who they want to be involved in decisions about your home help service.
Do you look around my home?
With your permissions (it usually takes just a couple of minutes) to count the number of rooms you have, any areas you want us to pay particular attention to, and this helps us to work out how much time we would recommend that you have a home help assistant visit you each week. We always start off with the lowest amount of time possible, and if needed, increase from there, but Liz has so much experience, that she often knows exactly the amount of time you’ll need, but we’re always flexible to make sure you’re happy.
What if my home isn’t as clean/tidy as I’d like it to be?
Please don’t tidy or clean your home and put yourself at unnecessary risk if you’re struggling to carry out these tasks at the moment. We understand that you have contacted Happy to Help Gateshead for support with tasks around your home, and that there might be areas of your home that aren’t as tidy or clean as you would like. We know how this can make some people feel, but we want you to have peace of mind that, clean and tidy or not, we never judge anyone's homes when we arrive.
How long does the home assessment take to complete?
Our home assessments typically last for an hour or an hour and a half, but Liz schedules in plenty of time should it take a bit longer than this. If an hour or more is too overwhelming, we can also do the home assessment in stages too, so that it feels more manageable.
Do I have to decide there and then to go ahead with the service?
Not at all. We will never rush you into making a decision, and you can decide that the service is not for you at any time. We hope we are the service you feel will make a difference, but there is never any obligation before, during or after a home assessment. You are welcome to start the service at your own pace, when you feel ready.
What if I change my mind during or after the home assessment?
We want you to have the service that is the best fit for you, and if you feel that Happy to Help Gateshead isn’t the service for you, we would never be offended. Having a home help service is an important step in helping you to live safely, comfortably and independently at home, and to ease the anxiety and burden that domestic tasks and/or errands are causing you. This is why we are always happy for clients to change their mind at any point, knowing how vital it is to get the best match between you and your home help service.
Can I reschedule or cancel it?
Of course, simply let us know anytime beforehand to cancel or rearrange.
How do I book a home assessment?
To book a home assessment, call Liz or Nancy on 0191 478 5919 or email liz@teamwork-dt.co.uk
What happens afterwards?
After the home assessment, we write up all of our notes, and once you are ready to go ahead, we start to identify the best home help assistant to visit your home regularly. Once we have identified the perfect match, and know your preferred start date, we tell your home help assistant all about you, your preferences and your wishes so that when the home help assistant arrives on the very first day, you can feel at ease knowing everything will be done just as you like it.
Looking for Help at Home for yourself or a loved one?
Everyone is different, that’s why Happy to Help Gateshead create home help plans that suit the needs of each client. Whatever you need, we’ll create a visit that keeps on doing what you need to live in safety and comfort in your own home.
Call us on 0191 478 5919
Email liz@teamwork-dt.co.uk
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