Housing options if you need care or support at home

If you need care or support with everyday tasks, you can either:

get care in your home
move into a care home

You can get a needs assessment to help you decide.

Getting a needs assessment

This is sometimes called a community care assessment. It will not cost you anything. To have your care needs assessed contact the council’s social work team.

Anyone can ask for an assessment. You might need one if:

you’re disabled
you're having difficulties related to aging
you have a learning disability
you have a long-term health condition
you have a mental illness
you’re dependent on drugs or alcohol

If you look after someone, you can have your needs assessed as a carer as well.

After your assessment you’ll be given a care plan which shows what tasks help you need with.

Get specialist advice on needs assessments from Care Information Scotland.

Paying for care

You will not have to pay for:

your needs assessment
equipment given to you by the NHS
services provided to you by the NHS

You’ll be expected to pay towards any care you receive from social work, sometimes called social care or social services.

The council will look at your finances to see how much you need to contribute to any costs. They'll look at things like:

your income from work or pensions
if you own any property
your savings

Before you agree to anything, social work must tell you how much you have to pay. Ask the council to review the charges if you think they’re unreasonable.

Getting care at home

You can get help at home with things like:

equipment to help you with daily living, like a raised chair or bed, or equipment to help you get in and out of the bath
household tasks and helping you wash and dress
meals on wheels if you have difficulty cooking for yourself
housing support to help with budgeting, bills and shopping
access to lunch and social clubs
access to a day care centre
emotional support

These services can be provided by:

the council’s social work team or housing department
the NHS
charities

Moving into a care home

If you cannot get the care you need at home, you can consider moving into a care home. Sometimes care homes are called nursing homes or assisted living facilities.

You can live in a care home temporarily if you need some time to get better, or you can move in permanently. Social work will help you decide what’s best for you.

Some care homes will offer personal care. This can include help with:

washing, bathing and showering
going to the toilet
taking medication

You’ll need a care home which also provides nursing care if:

you’re very frail
you cannot get out of bed because of sickness or old age
you have a medical condition that needs regular attention from a doctor or a nurse

You should be allowed to decide which care home you move into, as long as it's suitable for you and meets social work’s requirements.

You can search for care homes on the EAC housing care website.

Getting advice on your options

For advice on getting your needs met, or those of someone you look after, get in touch with specialist services:

Last updated: 25 July 2024