You can get help to run your home.
Sometimes home management tasks can mount up and make living at home difficult. Some people even think of moving into a care home when it all gets too much. You can get help with tasks in your home like:
- housework and laundry
- decorating, maintenance and gardening
- shopping
- dealing with bills and money matters
Our top ten things to think about will help you to plan your future care, even if you don't need support at the moment.
A Safe and Independent Living (SAIL) assessment can direct you to a wide range of help, advice and support services across Dorset.
Care assistants
A care assistant or personal assistant could help if you with organising services, paying bills or general housework such as cooking and cleaning.
Shopping and cooking
You can get help with shopping for food. You might need help if you cannot get to the shops easily or if you find shopping physically difficult.
There are a number of companies that offer a meal delivery service in Dorset. The meals can be hot, frozen or chilled and can be delivered to your door and on a temporary or permanent basis. Many of the meal providers are able to cater for special diets.
Rubbish collection
If you are disabled, housebound or physically unable to move your bins and there is no one else who can help, we can collect them from a point on your property, such as your back door. This is called an assisted bin collection.
You can request an assisted bin collection on behalf of someone else if you have their permission.
Each council has its own arrangements for applying for assisted bin collection.
For Bournemouth call Customer Services on 01202 451199
For
Christchurch (opens in a new window)
For Poole call 01202 261700
Help getting online
We have details of organisations across Dorset who can
help you to learn how to use computers (opens in a new window) in our service provider directory.
Moving home
If you feel unable to continue living in your own home, we have advice on housing options such as downsizing or moving into sheltered accommodation.
Further information
You may also want to look at these pages:
- home adaptations
- equipment to help
- personal care in the home
- if you are finding it difficult to manage tasks due to a bereavement we have more advice on this.
Help with managing your money (budgeting) is available. It's important to regularly look at how much you are spending to make sure you are not paying for things you no longer need or use.
Benefits
Make sure you are getting all the benefits you should be. The benefits system is complex and often changes, which means many people are not claiming money that they are entitled to. Use a
benefits calculator (opens in a new window) to find out:
- what benefits you could get
- how to claim
- how your benefits will be affected if you start work
The government can offer financial help for certain people during the winter.
If you are getting certain benefits, you can get a
Cold Weather Payment (opens in a new window). You will get a payment of £25 for each 7 day period of very cold weather between 1 November and 31 March.
You could get between £100 and £300 tax-free to help pay your heating bills if you are a certain age. This is known as a
Winter Fuel Payment (opens in a new window).
The
Warm Home Discount Scheme (opens in a new window) could get you a £140 discount on your electricity bill. Only certain people are eligible.
You might be eligible for financial help with your energy bills or a
grant (opens in a new window) to make your home more energy efficient.
Priority Services Register
You can join the Priority Services Register with your energy supplier if you are disabled, chronically sick, have a long term medical condition or a sight or hearing impairment.
Citizens Advice (opens in a new window) have more information.
Saving money on your bills
Tips to save energy and lower your bills include:
- turn off the heating in rooms you are not using
- switch off the lights if you do not need them on
- only fill the kettle with as much water as you need
- line dry your washing instead of using a tumble dryer
- close your curtains at dusk
- use the right sized pan on the right size burner, and always use saucepan lids
- turn your thermostat down by one degree
- check that your energy supplier is offering the best tariff
- use low energy light bulbs instead of normal bulbs
- line your curtains with a thermal liner
- fit a hot water tank jacket if your water tank does not have one
Help and advice on saving energy
There are other ways you can save energy that cost more at first, but could save you money later on. You could replace your boiler with a more efficient one, install proper insulation in your walls and loft or even generate your own energy by installing solar panels or a wind turbine.
The
Energy Saving Trust (opens in a new window) provides free advice and information on ways you can save energy and the grants that may be available.
Healthy Homes Dorset (opens in a new window) can help you to keep warmer by installing loft and cavity wall insulation. They also offer free and impartial information and advice.
If you live in Bournemouth, Christchurch or Poole the
Local Energy Advice Programme (opens in a new window) (LEAP) can offer free advice abut how to save money and keep your home warm.
Certain water suppliers can offer you a discount if you are receiving Pension Credit. Check with your supplier to see if they can help.
Future planning
We have information on financial care planning.
