HAMPSHIRE County Council has recognised the “need for action” in its response to a report by Healthwatch Hampshire into ‘care at home’ services.

Healthwatch Hampshire has published an extensive report after speaking to more than 850 people about their experiences of receiving care at home (domiciliary care) services in Hampshire.

Care at home services are designed to support and care for people in their own homes so they can live independently for as long as possible.

Healthwatch Hampshire wanted to know more about the experiences of the people who use these services to help influence decisions about the services that Hampshire County Council commissions in the future, and to influence the organisations that provide care at home services to do everything they can to meet the needs of people they care for.

Working with the county council to deliver a survey to everyone in Hampshire who uses care at home services, the healthwatch collected 887 responses.

The report found that:

n More than 80 per cent of respondents were ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with the quality of care received;

n The main concerns highlighted were turnover of carers, and timing of visits (both appropriateness and consistency);

n Almost half of respondents receive extra support from friends, family or neighbours. Some 70 per cent of these receive no respite care to give their carers a break; only two per cent felt that adequate respite was provided for their informal carers;

n Fifty-two per cent of respondents are not aware of the advice and information service offered by Hampshire County Council;

n Seventy per cent of respondents did not feel adequately involved in the selection of their care provider;

n Around half said that they accepted their arrangements, rather than agreed to them, because of a lack of alternatives.

As a result, a number of recommendations have been made by Healthwatch Hampshire that have been recognised by Hampshire County Council, which in turn issued its own statement.

It read: “The county council is particularly encouraged to hear that more than 80 per cent of those receiving services are satisfied or very satisfied with the quality of their care and that, overwhelmingly, respondents reported that they felt their carers were understanding, helpful and friendly.

“Nevertheless, the report also highlights areas where improvements need to be made, for example in relation to the turnover of carers and timing of visits, and we are not complacent about the need for action to address these issues.

“We also take particular note of where, as an authority, we need to do more to ensure the public understand the advice, guidance and support that is available to help them make informed decisions about their care.

“We also note the need for us to do more to communicate the support that is available to carers whose role is crucial in supporting those who wish to continue living in their own homes.”

Steve Manley, manager at Healthwatch Hampshire, said: “We welcome the response of Hampshire County Council and will continue to work alongside local commissioners and providers to ensure that patient views and experiences are at the heart of their decision making.

“We hope that this report can be used to benefit those who receive care at home services and their carers.”

And he added: “We would like to thank all those who took part in our survey and gave up their time to share their views for the benefit of others.”