Publication: Homing in on care : A review of home care services for older people

Home care workers, or home helps, are valued highly by older people and their carers, and are at the frontline in providing the care and support which allows many of them to remain in their own home rather than go into residential or nursing home care. Because the home care service plays such a key role in care in the community, councils need to get best value from their spending on this service by allocating realistic budgets, consulting with older people and their carers about what care they need and when they need it, making better use of technology and providing staff with the necessary specialist training.