Introduction

Sometimes, people find it hard to take care of themselves at home. This can happen gradually, or because of a sudden illness or accident. Many can stay at home with help from family, friends, and the right care and support.

To find out more about the options, you can talk to a social worker, a volunteer or community agent at a Community Hub. You can also find dates and venues for Talking Cafes on  the Somerset Village and Community Agents website. These drop-ins can help with everything, from finding a social group, support with money, transport, or help for carers. They might also help you stay at home longer.

For some people, moving to sheltered housing or another type of home might be a good choice. For others, a care home might give the care and support they need.

Choosing the right care home

Picking the right care home is important. The Somerset Care Services Directory has a list of care homes in Somerset and tips on what to think about when choosing one.

Paying for a place in a care home

If you think you might need help with paying for a care home place, a Social Care Worker can visit you to complete an assessment. This is to see if you qualify.

Following your assessment, if they decide a residential care or nursing home is best for you, and you have no one else to help, we can help you with the process.

It’s a good idea to get independent advice from others. There are several organisations that can help you. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) registers and inspects all care homes. They publish reports which you can read on the Care Quality Commission website about the quality of care homes. We recommend you look at them before deciding.

You can also see a map of Care Quality Commission ratings on the Somerset Intelligence website.

If you have a complaint about a care home, contact the Care Quality Commission. You can learn more on the Care Quality Commission website.

Extra Care Housing

If it’s getting harder to live in and take care of your home, you might be thinking about different housing options. If you have some low-level support needs, Sheltered Housing could be a choice. If you have a higher level of care and support needs, Extra Care Housing might be a better option.

Extra Care Housing means:

  • your own home within a supported housing scheme
  • staff on-site and on call 24 hours a day
  • shared communal facilities you can use

Extra Care Housing lets you live independently in your own home, but with the peace of mind that there is help nearby if you need it. These homes are usually one- or two-bedroom flats or bungalows that you can rent. They are built or adapted to help people who have care and support needs.

If you need regular help, the staff there can assist you. The nature of  your care can be changed if your needs change.

You can get help with things like:

  • washing, dressing and personal care
  • preparing snacks and heating meals
  • shopping and laundry (if you pay for it)
  • some domestic tasks (if you pay for them)
  • reminders to take your medicine (as part of a care package)

There is also a staff member on-site at night, who you can call in an emergency using a lifeline, which is available in each property.

Communal facilities are provided. These vary between schemes, but might include:

  • a lounge
  • craft and day rooms with organised activities
  • laundry
  • garden
  • guest rooms
  • library
  • hairdressing
  • lunch time meals. They are also often located very close to local shops and local amenities.

These homes are often close to local shops and amenities.

All Extra Care schemes have on-site staff who help with:

  • checking you are okay each day
  • helping with letters and appointments, for example, with your GP
  • helping you deal with money matters
  • helping with housing issues
  • getting other services, like a handyman
  • helping you to and from the dining room for meals (there will be a charge for the meal)
  • managing the building

Extra Care Housing schemes in Somerset

Aster Communities, Lettings Manager phone 01749 832061 or Lettings Co-ordinator phone 01749 832060
Schemes – Keyford Heights, Frome

Homes in Sedgemoor, Customer Services phone 0800 585360 or from a mobile 01278 552400
Schemes – Gibb House, Bridgwater, Hilda Coles House, Bridgwater, Elizabeth Court, Burnham-on-Sea

Live West, Scheme Managers phone 01934 526301 or 01934 526484
Scheme – Tennyson Court, Taunton

Sanctuary Housing, Scheme Manager phone 01823 325533
Scheme – Elizabeth House, Taunton

Somerset Council, Faye Hayes or Fiona Davis, phone 0300 123 2224
Schemes – Kilkenny, Taunton, Lodge Close, Wellington

Magna West Somerset, Danielle Jennings, phone 01643 705862 or 07977175199
Schemes – Silvermead, Minehead

Abri, Independent Living, phone 0300 330 9434
Schemes – St Gildas, Chard, Muchelney House, Ilminster, Bowhayes Lodge, Crewkerne, Pearson House, Yeovil, Malmesbury Court, Yeovil

Eligibility and applying for Extra Care Housing

If you want to apply for Extra Care Housing, call our Customer Service Team on 0300 123 2224. Before you can be considered, we need to make sure all other community options to help you stay at home have been tried.

A duty triage worker will contact you and talk to you about your care and support needs. If they think extra care housing is right for you, you will be allocated an Adult Social Care worker to check your needs. How fast this happens depends on how busy the team is.

Adult Social Care and the Landlord decide who can move into Extra Care. They do this together because Adult Social Care helps pay for the support, like 24-hour help.

A group of people called a Panel, from Housing, Adult Social Care, and the Care provider meet every month to decide who gets in. If they think another type of housing or support is better for you, they will let you know. If there are no spaces in your chosen place, they might offer you a place in another Extra Care Housing scheme.

Money matters

Paying to live in the scheme is split into three parts. You might get financial help for the second and third parts from social care.

  • Accommodation costs
    You need to discuss the rent and other costs for your home. Ask if these costs will go up each year. You will always have to pay these costs. Rent is for living in your home.

Besides rent, there is a service charge for things like:

    • Cleaning and servicing shared areas
    • Refuse services
    • Fire alarms and fire-fighting equipment
    • Door entry maintenance
    • Lighting and heating in shared areas
    • Maintaining shared equipment

The housing provider sets and collects these charges. Depending on your income, you might get Housing Benefit to help with your rent. Your landlord will help you apply for this.

  • Care and Support Cover
    As well as the accommodation costs, you also need to pay for the 24-hour on-site staff team who can help you if needed. If you have eligible care or support needs, they will check how much you can afford to pay. If you don’t have care or support needs, you will have to pay the full amount. This social care charge is collected by the on-site providers.
  • Care costs (Individual care needs)
    Following your care assessment, if you need help with things like getting up or washing and dressing, you can choose to pay for home care. You will pay the care provider directly for these services.

If you move into Extra Care Housing and need help with care or support, we will assess your needs and if you qualify. Then, Adult Social Care will talk to you about your money. They will follow national rules to decide how much you need to pay each week for your care.

If you have more than £23,250 in savings, you not be eligible for help towards your care and support costs. We will also talk to you about things you own, such as property, as part of the financial assessment. Financial and Benefit Assessments will not be offered if you have not been assessed as eligible by the Council.

Couples

If you and your partner are moving into Extra Care Housing, you will usually split the weekly cost equally between you.

If you both have care needs, you will each get a financial check to see how much you can pay each week.

If only one of you needs care, the cost will be split equally. The person who needs care will pay their share based on their financial assessment.

If you have a change in your circumstances and the partner without care needs stays, they will pay the full cost of the on-site care and support. The person with care needs will continue to pay their financially assessed contribution.

Independent financial advice

We know you might be making big changes in your life and need the best information and help to make the right choices. There are many organisations you can phone or visit to talk about it.

If you get financial advice and the advisor suggests ways that you should invest or use your money for specific financial products, they must be regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Check the Financial Conduct Authority website to learn more about this.

More information

You can find out more about paying for care and care home and housing options on section C and D of our Adult Social Care Information Sheets page.

Last updated: October 28, 2024

Next review due: April 28, 2025

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