Member Article

Lancashire home care specialists warning over voucher countdown

Preston-based home care specialist, Community Life Choices, is urging Lancashire carers to use their council-issued care vouchers or face losing their annual entitlement.

The Lancashire County Council initiative provides local carers with up to 28 vouchers which can be exchanged for home care services or residential stays.

Vouchers are valid for 12 months and with September marking the halfway point, carers have just six months remaining to utilise their entitlement.

Stewart Taylor, 91, from Penwortham is a carer for his wife Kathleen, also 91, and uses the vouchers in return for respite care from Community Life Choices.

“I, myself, am very fit, however my wife has a number of complex conditions which means she requires round the clock care,” explains Stuart.

“At my age it’s difficult to maintain this level of support, yet the vouchers provide regular relief without the added pressure of having to fund this additional care.

“I’ve been in receipt of the care vouchers for two years now, yet more still needs to be done to raise awareness of availability, as I first heard about them whilst having a coffee with a friend at church.”

Community Life Choices specialises in the provision of five-star home care to adults and children in need of personalised health and social care services.

As well as personal care, the home care provider supports families with short breaks away from their carer role. This respite relief helps to boost self-esteem and quality of life.

To make the process more flexible and reduce administration between carers and providers, any new voucher applications will form part of the council’s social care and finance system.

Unlike the short break vouchers, which require annual assessments, rolling respite reinstates a carers full entitlement each year, should none of their circumstances change.

Anyone that has already received short break vouchers will continue to use them in the same way until 31 March 2015.

Alan Frew, managing director at Community Life Choices, said: “Carers play an extremely important role in the Lancashire community and it’s important that they take regular breaks to ease the pressure on themselves.

“Schemes like this make it easier for carers to arrange time off to recharge, whilst having peace of mind that their friends or loved ones remain in the hands of an experienced carer.

“It’s great to see Lancashire County Council pledging its support to local carers by providing them with greater control, choice and flexibility.

“We’re here to spread the message across Lancashire to ensure carers are aware of the type of support that they’re entitled to.”

Community Life Choices is an approved care provider on the Lancashire Country Council Scheme. For further information email info@communitylifechoices.co.uk or call 01772 804088.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .