Publication of ‘Survey of Home Care Service Users Northern Ireland 2009’

The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety has today published the ‘Survey of Home Care Service Users Northern Ireland 2009’.

Key Facts and Figures:

Characteristics of Users

• Seven in ten (70%) respondents were aged 75 or over (33% aged 75 to 84 and 37% aged 85 or over).
• Over two thirds (69%) of respondents were female and less than a third (31%) were male.
• Nearly half (48%) of respondents said that their overall health in the 12 months prior to the survey had not been good.
• The vast majority (91%) of respondents considered themselves to have a disability.
• Almost three quarters (72%) of respondents reported that they had help to fill in the questionnaire; 5% said they had help from their care worker and 67% said they had help from someone else.

Services to Users

• The activities most users indicated they were ‘not able’ to perform were the household shopping (79%), housework (79%) and preparing food (57%).
• The activities most users received help with were getting dressed/ undressed (66%), washing themselves (63%) and preparing food (59%).
• Almost a third (30%) of respondents said there was something they would like their care worker(s) to do for them that they did not do at the time of the survey.
• Nearly nine tenths (86%) of respondents rated the service they received as either ‘very good’ (54%) or ‘good’ (31%).
• Nearly nine tenths (86%) of respondents reported that they would not like to change the times of their home care visits.
• The majority (89%) of respondents reported that their care worker(s) had spent the amount of time they were supposed to at their home over the 7 days prior to the survey.
• Nearly three quarters (72%) of respondents thought the number of hours they were supposed to receive was enough for them.
• Nearly two fifths (39%) of respondents said that they always saw the same care worker(s) and a further 58% said that they nearly always saw the same care worker(s).

Home Care Plans

• Over four fifths (84%) of respondents reported that they (or a friend or relative) were involved in the decisions about the services they would receive.
• Almost three quarters (74%) of respondents reported that they had been asked what times would be convenient for them.
• Over four fifths (81%) of respondents reported that someone from the organisation that provided their care had explained what their care worker(s) are supposed to do for them.
• Over three fifths (62%) of respondents reported that they had been given a written guide that told them about the home care services they were receiving.
• Almost all (96%) respondents who had read their written guide reported that they understood what it told them about the home care services they were receiving.
• Almost all (94%) respondents who had read their written guide said that they were receiving all the home care services that it said they would.

Service Users’ Views

• Almost three in ten (29%) of respondents said that the help they received made them a lot more independent than they had been.
• More than four fifths (85%) of respondents said that they could not manage at all without the help they get from their care worker(s).
• Nearly nine tenths (89%) of respondents said that they felt they were always treated with respect and dignity by their care worker(s).
• More than nine tenths (92%) of respondents said that they always trusted their care worker(s).
• More than four fifths (85%) of respondents reported that they always looked forward to their care worker(s)’ visits.
• Just under four fifths (79%) of respondents said that they always chatted with their care worker(s) during visits.
• More than three quarters (77%) of respondents said that their care worker(s) always made them feel less lonely.
• Nearly nine tenths (88%) of respondents said that they were always happy with the way their care worker(s) treated them.
• Over two thirds (69%) of respondents said that their care worker(s) always arrive punctually.

Notes to editors:

1. This publication presents findings from the Survey of Home Care Service Users Northern Ireland 2009. The survey was designed to focus on the service users' experiences of domiciliary care in relation to the level and quality of care they expect or need. It was also used to investigate whether the service users surveyed had been involved in the planning of their care and to examine whether they had received written information about their care plans from their provider.

2. This publication is available online.

3. Further information is available from:

Community Information Branch,
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety,
Room 11, Annexe 2,
Castle Buildings,
Stormont, Belfast BT4 3SQ

Tel: (028) 90 522804

Fax: (028) 90 523288

E-mail:

Internet:

4. Media queries to DHSSPS Information Office on 028 9052 0579, out of office hours contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 076 9971 5440 and your call will be returned.