Care at home

Getting help to live independently

in your own home

Home
& care

AgeUKIG23
Age UK is the new force combining
Age Concern and Help the Aged.
With almost 120 years of combined
history to draw on, we are bringing
together our talents, services
and solutions to do more to enrich
the lives of people in later life.
The Age UK family includes
Age Cymru, Age NI and Age Scotland.

This information guide has been prepared by Age UK and contains general
advice only, which we hope will be useful. Nothing in this guide should be
construed as specific advice and it should not be relied on as a basis for
any decision or action. Age UK does not accept any liability arising from
its use. We aim to ensure that this information is as up to date and accurate
as possible, but please be warned that certain areas are subject to change
from time to time. Please note that the inclusion of named agencies,
companies, products, services or publications in this information guide
does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement by Age UK.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this
guide is correct. However, things do change, so it is always a good idea to
seek expert advice on your personal situation.

Date of publication: November 2010 © Age UK 2010

Contents
Introduction 2
What help can I get? 3
Meals at home 5
Adapting your home 6
Community alarms 7
Day centres 8
Help with your house and garden 10
Getting a care assessment 11
Will I be charged for services? 12
Direct payments 13
Arranging your own care 14
Extra money if you are disabled 15
Help for carers 16
Local health services 17
If your needs increase 17
Making a complaint 20
Moving to more suitable accommodation 22
Useful organisations 23

1 Care at home
Introduction
Feeling comfortable and secure where we live is central
to our wellbeing. Given the choice, most of us want to live
independently in our own homes for as long as possible.
But as we get older, we may need a little support and
assistance to help us do so. Thankfully, there are lots of ways
we can get help at home – it could be with personal care,
making our home more suitable for our needs, or financial
assistance from benefits or elsewhere.

This guide is filled with suggestions for organisations that

can give further information and advice about your options.
Their contact details can be found in the ‘Useful organisations’
section (see pages 23–30). Contact details for local
organisations, such as social services, can usually be found
in your local phone book. If you have difficulty finding them,
your local Age UK/Age Concern* should be able to
help (see page 23).

As far as possible, the information given in this guide is

applicable across the UK.

In this guide, where we refer to local authorities in England

and Wales, this means social work departments in Scotland
and local health and social care trusts in Northern Ireland.

Key
This symbol indicates where information differs
i
for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

what This symbol indicates who to contact for the
next? next steps you need to take.

*Many local Age Concerns are changing their name to Age UK.

2 Care at home
 What help can I get?
There is a wide range of help available and what you get will
depend on what help you need. Your local authority social
services department is responsible for arranging services
that help older and disabled people stay in their own homes.
They can help with a variety of things:

• getting in and out of bed

• bathing and washing
• preparing meals
• shopping
• cleaning
• fitting equipment and adaptations to your home,
such as stair lifts and bath seats
• going to a day centre.

To get help from your local social services department

you should ask for a care assessment (also known as
a needs assessment) to assess your needs (see page 11
for more information).

Ask for our free factsheet Local authority assessment

what
next? for community care services. You could also contact your
local authority social services department and ask them
to carry out an assessment of your needs.

3 Care at home
‘I started finding it difficult
to manage. I thought it would
right itself in time and I just
needed a bit of temporary help
to get over it. Then the doctor
told me it would only get worse.
That’s when I realised that I
wasn’t going to be able to cope
on my own without assistance.’
 Meals at home
It might just be that you’re finding it hard to cook for
yourself. If that’s the case, you can contact your local social
services and ask for an assessment of your needs. If you
are eligible, you will be able to receive meals on wheels.
These can either be frozen meals that you heat up yourself
or meals that are already hot. Your assessment must take
into account your capabilities, so if you are unable to use an
oven you should be given hot meals. If you receive frozen
meals, you may also be able to borrow equipment to reheat
the meal yourself and a small freezer if you need it.

Meals on wheels should also take into account if you have

any religious or cultural requirements, personal likes and
dislikes and dietary needs.

You should be given a service agreement that outlines

what days you will get services from your local authority,
how much you need to pay and how to contact the
service manager.
Contact your local authority for details of the service it
what
next? provides. In Northern Ireland, contact the Elderly Care
Team at your local health and social care trust.
i

5 Care at home
 Adapting your home
Sometimes all we need is to make a few adaptations to our
home in order for us to manage better. There is a lot you can
do to make your home more suitable for your needs as you
get older.

A wide range of equipment is available such as grab rails,

specially designed kitchen utensils, mobile hoists and bath
lifts. It’s also possible to make more substantial adaptations
such as widening doors, installing ramps for wheelchair
access, stairlifts and accessible showers. You can even get
equipment to help you if you have a sight or hearing loss.

Your local social services will assess your needs and, if you’re
eligible, equipment and adaptations costing less than £1,000
i are provided free of charge. In Wales, your local authority
can charge you for equipment it provides you with but does
not usually do so. In Scotland, certain equipment must be
free of charge for people who are 65 or over but what is
provided free is limited. In Northern Ireland you do not have
to pay for equipment that you are assessed as needing.

If you need to make adaptations to your home, you may

be able to apply for a grant to help you with the cost of it.

Ask for a copy of our free information guide Adapting your

what
next? home for more information. For more detailed advice see
our free factsheets Funding repairs, improvements and
adaptations and Disability equipment and how to get it.
You could also contact the Disabled Living Foundation
for information and advice about what equipment may
help you. Contact details are listed on page 26.

6 Care at home
 Community alarms
An important part of being at home is feeling safe. If you
worry about having an accident or falling ill while you are
alone at home, you might want to think about getting
a community alarm. Community alarms allow you to call
for help even if you can’t get to a phone; you contact a
24-hour response centre by pressing a button on a pendant
or wristband that you wear all the time. Staff at the centre
will then call out the best person to help you – usually a
neighbour, relative or friend, or the emergency services.

Many local authorities run their own community alarm

what
next? schemes: contact the housing department of your local
council for information. For more information about
Age UK Personal Alarms, provided by Aid Call,* please call
i 0800 77 22 66. In Northern Ireland, call 0808 100 45 45.

*Age UK Personal Alarms is a product name of Aid Call. Aid Call is a trading subsidiary of Age UK.

7 Care at home
 Day centres
Day centres can offer support, friendship and the opportunity
to do something you enjoy or learn something new.
Your local authority may suggest that you would benefit
from a visit to a day centre as a result of your care
assessment. If your local authority does not run a day centre
as part of its services, a local voluntary organisation may
provide this service.

Your local Age UK/Age Concern* may be able to give you

what
next? details of day centres in your area (see page 23) if your
local authority is unable to do so. Your local WRVS may
also be able to help. Contact details are on page 30.

*Many local Age Concerns are changing their name to Age UK.

8 Care at home
‘I wasn’t sure about going to
the day centre or what it would
be like. But the staff are friendly
and I like to catch up with the
other people I’ve met there.
My daughter is my carer and
she is very grateful to have
some time to herself.’
 Help with your
house and garden
If all you need is a little help with your housework, gardening
or shopping, a local voluntary organisation such as your local
Age UK/Age Concern* may be able to provide services to
help you. Alternatively, you can employ someone to do these
tasks for you (see page 14, for information on how to do this).
It may still be a good idea to get an assessment by your local
authority to discuss your options (see page 11).

Contact your local Age UK/Age Concern* and ask what

what
next? services it provides. You could also contact WRVS to see
what services it may be able to offer. See page 30 for
i contact details. In Northern Ireland, an organisation called
Volunteer Now may be able to help you find the support you
need around the home. Contact details are on page 30.

*Many local Age Concerns are changing their name to Age UK.

10 Care at home
 Getting a care assessment
To get help from social services you will need to have an
assessment of your needs. Usually all you have to do is
contact your local authority social services department,
explain you need some help at home, and ask for a care
assessment. You should not be charged for your assessment.

The person who assesses you should look at the emotional

and social side of your life as well as any physical difficulties
you might have. They should take into account any health
or housing requirements and contact any other health and
social care professionals who need to be involved in your
assessment and care. A care plan must be agreed and
written out after an assessment.

You may require a specialist assessment for a particular

need (such as adaptations to your home). Or you may need
a more comprehensive assessment of the different sorts of
help you need to stay in your home. This assessment might
include several people, such as a social worker, occupational
therapist, nurse, and possibly even a housing officer if you
have special housing needs.

For more information ask for our free factsheet Local

what
next? authority assessment for community care services.

11 Care at home
 Will I be charged for services?
Local authorities in England and Wales do not have to
charge for the non-residential services they provide, but
most do. Some local authorities may be more generous
than others regarding the amount they pay on your behalf.

Before charging you for services, your local authority must

work out how much you can afford to pay. Government
guidance requires that this amount must leave you with
a reasonable level of income.

i In Northern Ireland, if you are under the age of 75 you may

be charged for services following a financial assessment.
If you are over 75, you will not have to pay for services that
you are assessed as needing. In Scotland, you will not be
charged for personal and nursing care that you are assessed
as needing. Personal care includes bathing, dressing and
things related to personal hygiene. Tasks such as shopping,
cleaning and making beds can be charged for. Charges vary
between local authority social work departments.
Contact your local authority and ask for details of its
what
next? charging policy. If you think the fee you are asked to pay
is unreasonable, use your local authority complaints
procedure. You could also ask for our free factsheet
Paying for care and support at home.

12 Care at home
 Direct payments
If you have been assessed as needing community care
services, you may have the option of receiving direct payments
instead of directly provided services. Direct payments allow
you greater choice over decisions about who cares for you
and how your money is spent. You need to meet certain
criteria to qualify for direct payments, and your local authority
has to be satisfied that what you are spending them on does
meet your assessed needs.

You can get support from your local authority if you want
to employ your own personal assistant or care workers.
You may also have a local direct payments support service
that can help you through all the stages of getting and
i looking after direct payments. In Northern Ireland, contact
the Centre for Independent Living for this type of support
(see page 25). In Scotland, direct payments are available as
part of a scheme usually known as ‘self-directed support’.

Alongside direct payments, the Government has introduced

personal budgets as part of its personalisation agenda,
which aim to give service users more control over how they
get and pay for their care services. Personal budgets are not
i available in Northern Ireland. The Scottish Government has
also introduced a personalisation agenda but it is slightly
different to the one that England and Wales have introduced.

Ask for our free guide Personal Budgets and free factsheet
what
next? Self-directed support: Direct Payments and Personal Budgets.
You could also contact the National Centre for Independent
Living for information on using direct payments, individual
budgets and employing a care worker (see page 27 for
i contact details). In Scotland, ask for a factsheet called
Self-directed support (Direct Payments) from social work.

13 Care at home
 Arranging your own care
You can get help with things such as cleaning, shopping
and personal care through private agencies. If you decide
to arrange your own care privately, you will have to pay
the full cost of the services you receive.

There are a number of ways you can find a local care agency.

• The UK Home Care Association can give you details of

home care providers who follow their code of practice.
It also produces a useful leaflet called Choosing care
in your home. Contact details are on page 30.
• Your local social services department should be able to
provide you with details of approved private agencies.
• Ask friends or relatives for recommendations, or check
your phone book for local agencies.

A home care agency has several responsibilities to provide

you with information: for example, it should give you a
written contract within seven days of you receiving services
from them. They must also have procedures in place which
protect the way you are cared for and treated.

Ask for our free factsheet Finding help at home for more
what
next? information. Counsel and Care produces a guide called
Home care agencies: what to look for. See page 26 for
contact details. If you are concerned about someone
who is being mistreated, ask for our free factsheet
Safeguarding older people from abuse.

14 Care at home
 Extra money if you are disabled
If you’re 65 or over and need help with personal care or
supervision to keep yourself safe, you might be able to claim
extra money through a benefit called Attendance Allowance.
Tasks you may need help with or supervision include eating,
getting in and out of bed, going to the toilet and washing.
Attendance Allowance is not means-tested or taxable.
There are two rates of Attendance Allowance: lower rate and
higher rate. There are special rules if you are terminally ill.

If you qualify for Attendance Allowance, you may be entitled

to increased means-tested benefits such as Housing Benefit,
Council Tax Benefit or Guarantee Credit Pension Credit. But if
you receive services from your local social services, Attendance
Allowance will be taken into account when working out
whether you should pay for services provided to you.

i In Northern Ireland, you may get help with your rates through
Rates Relief if you have had structural adaptations to your home.
Attendance Allowance and other disability-related benefits
should not be taken into account when making decisions about
the provision of community care services.

Contact the Benefits Enquiry Line to get an application form

for Attendance Allowance (see page 23). Your local Age UK/
Age Concern* may be able to help you with completing the form.

If you are under 65 you need to apply for Disability Living

Allowance instead.

For tips on filling out the Attendance Allowance form, ask for
what
next? our free guide Advice for carers. For more detailed information,
ask for a copy of our free factsheet Attendance Allowance.
For face-to-face advice, contact your local Age UK/Age
Concern* or Citizens Advice Bureau (see pages 23 and 25).
*Many local Age Concerns are changing their name to Age UK.

15 Care at home
 Help for carers
If you’re cared for by a friend, or family member, that person
is a carer – even if they do not realise it. Your carer is entitled
to a carer’s assessment, regardless of whether you are
having your own needs assessed.

The kind of help and support that your carer can get includes:
respite care to give themselves or you a break; emotional
support from other carers; help with caring; and help with
household tasks and activities for the person they care for.

Your carer may also be entitled to financial support. The main

benefit for carers is Carer’s Allowance – your carer must meet
certain criteria to qualify for it.

Your carer may also need a break to recharge their batteries,

which may involve you being looked after by a care worker
while they go out shopping or you having a brief stay in a
care home for a short period of time.

Ask for a copy of our free guide Advice for carers for
what
next? more information. For more detailed information, ask for
our factsheet Carer’s Allowance. You could also contact
Carers UK (contact details are listed on page 25).

‘My befriender comes in for

a chat, a cup of tea and a
chocolate biscuit. It is the
highlight of my week.’

16 Care at home
 Local health services
It is useful to know what health services are available in your
area, particularly if you have health or mobility problems and
find it difficult to get about. Your GP can give you information
about local services. These might include home visits from
the district nurse or health visitor, chiropody, continence
advice or other services. In England there should be a local
Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) to provide support
and information about health services to patients, carers and
families in the area.

Ask for our free factsheet Local NHS services. See pages
what
next? 27–28 for details of how to contact NHS Direct in England
and Wales, NHS 24 in Scotland or your local health and
i social services board in Northern Ireland.

If your needs increase

As time passes, you may feel that you need more support
and assistance to help you manage at home. Ask your local
authority for a review of your needs to see whether it can
provide you with any other services to support you.

If you feel that you can no longer manage at home even

with the help you are getting from your local authority, you
could think about what other options are available to you.
See ‘Moving to more suitable accommodation’ on page 22
for more information.

Ask for a copy of our free information guide Housing options

what
next? or our free factsheet Retirement (sheltered) housing.

17 Care at home
 My
story

‘Patrick agreed to have a care

worker sit with him so that
I could have time off to do
the shopping and other jobs.’

Ann had acted as carer for ‘The care workers and staff have
her husband Patrick for a been very helpful in telling us
number of years, but found about what other assistance we
it increasingly difficult to cope might be able to get. I wish I had
as his care needs increased. known about them earlier and
‘I was under a lot of mental strain not felt so guilty about asking for
and needed help. The social help. It would have saved us both
worker came to visit us at home a lot of stress!
and handled the situation so well ‘Patrick is spending a week at
that Patrick agreed to have a the care home soon to give me
care worker sit with him so that a holiday. We’re both a bit nervous
I could have time off to do the but he is used to the home and
shopping and other jobs. Later he the staff from attending the
agreed to go to a day centre for day centre.’
one day a week. Luckily, one of
the care homes nearby has a
good one attached. He agreed
to go to help me but now rather
looks forward to it.
Making a complaint
If you have a complaint about your local authority social
services, first try to resolve it by having an informal discussion
about the problem. If this does not work, ask for a copy of
its complaints procedure. Each local authority must have
one and make it available to the public: for example, by
displaying it on its website.

You can use the complaints procedures of your local council

if you:

• have been refused an assessment or re-assessment

of your needs
• feel that you are being asked to wait an unreasonable
length of time to have your needs assessed
• don’t feel that the assessment took all your needs
into account
• feel that the services you are receiving are not meeting
your needs
• have had a reduction in your services and feel you still
need them
• have a problem with the way your services are being
provided
• are being asked to wait a long time for equipment
or adaptations
• feel that you are being charged an unreasonable amount
for your care
• have problems getting local council funding for a care
home place.

20 Care at home
 You can also complain to the regulatory organisation in your
i nation: Care Quality Commission (page 24); Care and Social
Services Inspectorate Wales (page 24); Northern Ireland
Social Care Council (page 28); Scottish Commission for the
Regulation of Care (page 29).

If you are unhappy with the outcome of the complaints

procedure carried out by your local council, you can make
a formal complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman
i (in Scotland this is the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman).

Ask for a copy of our free factsheet How to resolve problems

what
next? and make a complaint about the local authority. If you want
face-to-face advice, contact your local Age UK/Age Concern*
or local Citizens Advice Bureau. Contact details are on
page 23.

Make a complaint if
you feel that the services
you are receiving are
not meeting your needs.

*Many local Age Concerns are changing their name to Age UK.

21 Care at home
 Moving to more suitable
accommodation
There may come a time when your current home is no longer
suitable, even with care and support. There are several
options you might want to think about: downsizing to a more
manageable property, moving in with family, moving into
sheltered housing or moving into a care home.

You may be able to manage better if you move to a smaller

property. This can have several benefits: for example,
reductions in running costs, housework and maintenance.

Sheltered housing (sometimes called retirement housing) is

specially designed for older people. There are many different
types of sheltered housing schemes; some will have a house/
scheme manager (or warden) who lives onsite or nearby.
All schemes should provide 24-hour emergency help through
an alarm system.

Moving in with family can work well, but it’s important for
you all to be realistic about what to expect. What sort of
care will you need and who will be able to provide this for
you? You also need to be clear about the financial and legal
arrangements. If you think that you need more personal
care than you can get at home, moving to a care home
could be an option.

Ask for our free guide Housing options for more information
what
next? about what options are available to you and our free guide
Care homes for information about finding and paying for
a care home. For more detailed information see our free
factsheets Buying retirement housing and Retirement
(sheltered) housing. Elderly Accommodation Counsel also
provides details of housing options. Contact details are
on page 26.

22 Care at home
Useful organisations
Age UK
Age UK is the new force combining Age Concern
and Help the Aged. We provide advice and information
for people in later life through our Age UK Advice line‚
publications and online.

Age UK Advice: 0800 169 65 65

www.ageuk.org.uk

In Wales, contact
Age Cymru: 0800 169 65 65
www.agecymru.org.uk

In Scotland, contact
Age Scotland: 0845 125 9732
www.agescotland.org.uk

In Northern Ireland, contact

Age NI: 0808 808 7575
www.ageni.org.uk

Benefits Enquiry Line

Provides information and advice about claiming benefits.

Tel: 0800 88 22 00
Textphone: 0800 24 33 55

23 Care at home
Care Quality Commission (CQC)
CQC is the health and social regulator in England. Contact it
to find a local social care or health provider and for advice
on choosing the right provider for you.

Citygate
Gallowgate
Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4PA

Tel: 03000 61 61 61
Email: enquiries@cqc.org.uk
www.cqc.org.uk

Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW)

The CSSIW oversees the inspection and regulation of care
and social services in Wales.

4–5 Charnwood Court

Heol Billingsley
Parc Nantgarw
Nantgarw CF15 7QZ

Tel: 01443 84 84 50
Email: cssiw@wales.gsi.gov.uk
www.cssiw.org.uk

24 Care at home
Carers UK
Information and support for carers including information
about benefits.

20 Great Dover Street

London SE1 4LX

Tel: 0808 808 7777

Email: adviceline@carersuk.org
www.carersuk.org

Centre for Independent Living NI

Local direct payments support service.

Beechill Business Park

96 Beechill Road
Belfast BT8 7QN

Tel: 028 9064 8546

Email: info@cilbelfast.org

Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)

National network of free advice centres offering free,
confidential and independent advice, face to face or
by telephone.

Tel: 020 7833 2181

(for details of your local CAB; or see phone book)
Tel: 028 9023 1120
(for details of your local CAB in Northern Ireland)

www.citizensadvice.org.uk
www.adviceguide.org.uk

25 Care at home
Counsel and Care
Provides advice and information for older people,
their friends and families.

Twyman House
16 Bonny Street
London NW1 9PG

Tel: 0845 300 7585

Email: advice@counselandcare.org.uk
www.counselandcare.org.uk

Disabled Living Foundation

Runs an equipment demonstration centre and provides
information about equipment for daily living.

380–384 Harrow Road

London W9 2HU

Tel: 0845 130 9177

Textphone: 020 7432 8009
Email: info@dlf.org.uk
www.dlf.org.uk

Elderly Accommodation Counsel

Maintains a nationwide database of housing for older people
to help them to choose suitable accommodation.

3rd Floor
89 Albert Embankment
London SE1 7TP

Tel: 0800 377 70 70

Email: enquiries@eac.org.uk
www.housingcare.org

26 Care at home
National Centre for Independent Living
Provides information on living independently.

Unit 3.40
Canterbury Court
1–3 Brixton Road
London SW9 6DE

Tel: 020 7587 1663

Advice line: 0845 026 4748
www.ncil.org.uk

NHS Choices (England)

An online information service in England that gives
information about healthcare and helps users decide
on what choices they should make.

www.nhs.uk

NHS Direct (England)

Gives information about local health services in your
area and provides health advice in England.

Tel: 0845 4647

www.nhs.uk

27 Care at home
NHS Direct (Wales)
Gives information about local health services and provides
health advice in Wales.

Tel: 0845 4647

www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk

NHS 24 (Scotland)
Provides information about healthcare and has an online
self-help guide that gives advice about symptoms and
problems that many people experience.

Tel: 08454 24 24 24
www.nhs24.com

In Northern Ireland contact your local health and social

services board to find local health services.

Northern Ireland Social Care Council

Regulatory body for social care in Northern Ireland.

7th Floor Millenium House

19–25 Great Victoria Street
Belfast BT2 7AQ

Tel: 028 9041 7600

Textphone: 028 9023 9340
Email: info@nisocialcarecouncil.org.uk 
www.niscc.info

28 Care at home
Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care
Regulatory body for social and health care in Scotland.

Compass House
11 Riverside Drive
Dundee DD1 4NY

Tel: 0845 603 0890

Email: enquiries@carecommission.com
www.carecommission.com

Please note that from April 2011 the functions of the Scottish
Commission for Regulation of Care will move to Social Care
and Social Work Improvement Scotland. Please find their
details from your local telephone directory or the Scottish
Government’s website at www.scotland.gov.uk

Scottish Public Services Ombudsman

Contact them if you’ve made a complaint to your local
council and you’re not happy with the outcome.

14 Melville Street
Edinburgh EH1 7NS

Tel: 0800 377 7330

www.spso.org.uk

Social services
The central phone number for your local social services
department (part of the local authority) is in the phone
book, listed under your local council. If you live in Northern
Ireland contact the local health and social services trust
and if you live in Scotland, the social work department
at your local authority.

29 Care at home
UK Home Care Association
Provides information about choosing care and contains an
online database to help you choose a home care agency.

Tel: 020 8288 5291

www.ukhca.co.uk

Volunteer Now
Provides information about volunteering opportunities
in Northern Ireland and may also be able to find services
to help you in the home.

Tel: 028 9023 6100

Email: info@volunteernow.co.uk
www.volunteernow.co.uk

WRVS
In England, Scotland and Wales, offers a range of services
depending on your area, including home visits, help with
shopping and other tasks, community transport, meals
delivered to your home and social clubs.

Tel: 029 2073 9000

www.wrvs.org.uk

30 Care at home
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to treat all donations I have made for the four years prior to this year,
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you otherwise, as gift aid donations. I confirm I pay an amount of
income tax and/or capital gains tax at least equal to the tax that the
charity will reclaim on my donations in the tax year. Date: / /
(please complete). *Age Cymru, Age Scotland and Age NI
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Age UK (registered charity no 1128267) comprises the Charity, its group of companies and national partners
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As we get older, we may need
a little support and assistance
to help us stay in our own homes.
Thankfully, there are lots of ways
we can get help.
What should I do now?
For more information on the issues covered in this guide, or to
order any of our publications, please call Age UK Advice free on
0800 169 65 65 or visit www.ageuk.org.uk/homeandcare
Our publications are also available in large print and audio formats.
The following Age UK information guides may be useful:
• Adapting your home
• Advice for carers
• Housing options

Age UK offers a wide range of products and services specially

designed for people in later life, for more information,
please call 0800 169 18 19.

If contact details for your local Age UK/Age Concern* are not
in the box below, call Age UK Advice free on 0800 169 65 65.

*Many local Age Concerns are changing their name to Age UK.
Age UK is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England (registered charity number 1128267 and
registered company number 6825798). The registered address is 207–221 Pentonville Road, London N1 9UZ. Age Concern
England (registered charity number 261794) and Help the Aged (registered charity number 272786), and their trading and
other associated companies merged on 1 April 2009. Together they have formed the Age UK Group, dedicated to improving
the lives of people in later life. The three national Age Concerns in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales have also merged
with Help the Aged in these nations to form three registered charities: Age Scotland, Age NI and Age Cymru. ID8816 11/10