Arranging care usually takes around two to six weeks, but if you need care at home as soon as possible, there are organisations who can support you. Guidance on how to find immediate care close to you.
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At a glance
- Immediate care simply means that you require care as soon as possible. Urgent care and emergency care mean different things based on whether you have needs that are life-threatening or not.
- If you need a carer quickly, contact local providers and/or your local authority and explain your situation.
- If you need urgent medical care, call your GP, 111 or 999. They will decide the best way to treat you and may opt for Urgent Community Response services.
- Urgent Community Response services provide care and support to you in your home on the same day that you are referred to them.
Is immediate care like urgent care?
The terms immediate care, urgent care and emergency care may seem interchangeable, but they are not quite the same thing. The NHS uses ‘urgent’ and ‘emergency’ to describe two different types of care:
Urgent care – Immediate treatment for non-life threatening illnesses or injuries.
Emergency care – Immediate treatment for life threatening illnesses or injuries.
Immediate care is not a specific type of care, it just means you need it as soon as possible.
Why might I need to find immediate care close to me?
Arranging home care tends to only take a couple of weeks or so, once you have chosen a provider. However, some providers offer your first visit from a carer within 24 hours of your first enquiry. This quick service is usually used if you need immediate care.
Possible reasons you may need immediate care include that:
- You have had a stay in hospital and need some convalescence care.
- An unpaid carer (such as a family member) who usually provides your care but they are ill, unavailable or no longer able to provide care on a temporary or permanent basis.
- You are experiencing symptoms or an event that may require urgent care, including reduced function or mobility, a fall, confusion or medical equipment support.
How long does it take to get a care needs assessment?
The time period it takes to get a care needs assessment varies between councils. It tends to be a few weeks, but they do prioritise urgent cases so you should be seen quicker.
Contact local home care providers
You can use the search feature on homecare.co.uk to find home care providers local to you. Profiles include a telephone number so you can ring local providers and explain your situation.
Some providers offer a needs assessment (if you need one) and your first visit from a carer very quickly, depending on their availability and your needs.
Search for a home care provider
Speak to your local authority
You can also contact your local authority and explain that you need a carer quickly and why. They are unlikely to be as fast as private agencies but are legally required to offer you a needs assessment and meet those needs (i.e. provide suitable care) if you are eligible.
It may be worth contacting both private providers and your local authority if you think you will qualify for local authority funding. It could be that you need to pay for private home care just while the council makes arrangements for your ongoing support.
Contact your GP, 111 or 999 for referral to Urgent Community Response services
If you are showing symptoms that you think may require medical attention, speak to your GP or ring 111 (or 999 if it’s an emergency).
They will decide the best course of action; one option they may choose is to refer you to Urgent Community Response (UCR) services.
UCR is a multi-skilled team of medical and healthcare professionals who provide care to you in your own home, in as little as two hours from the time of referral. Their aim is to avoid you needing to stay in hospital by providing the care you need in your home.
Each local authority has their own UCR and information online.
UCR teams can also provide support if your unpaid carer is unavailable and not having a carer will result in your experiencing a healthcare crisis.
