Day care
What is day care?
Our day-care centres provide a wide range of services for older people, aged 60 and over, and their carers. Day-care services provide support to help you continue to live in your own home or with your family or carer.
We can provide day-care services in our own centres or we may arrange for a private or voluntary day-care service, depending on your needs.
The service we offer, whether it is in our own centre or provided by another organisation, is based on the following principles and values.
- Independence
- Privacy
- Dignity
- Choice
- Respect
- Fulfilment
- Rights.
We aim to provide the best service we can by:
- helping you to stay as independent as possible
- respecting you
- helping you make your own choices.
Who is it for?
Day care is available to older people and adults with a mental health problem or physical, sensory or learning disability. It can help you to keep living in your own home either on a long term basis or for shorter periods, for example if your main carer is away.
We also support carers who help look after a relative or friend at home. If a carer is at risk because of stress or health problems for example, we can provide day care for the person they look after.
How can it help me?
Day care centres give you access to support and advice, and the chance to meet other people. You can get involved in activities that interest you, and develop new skills. If you have a carer, it will give you both a change of routine.
How can I get there?
When you apply we can help to work out the easiest way for you to get to your day care centre. The choice might include the centre’s own mini-bus, the county rider bus service, taxis or being driven by one of our voluntary drivers. If you have a carer, they might want to bring you themselves.
Transport can be provided to day-care centre, this is part of your service package. Transport to and from the day-care and respite centre costs £1 each way.
When you are assessed, you can discuss your transport needs with your assessor.
Will I have to pay?
You will not have to pay for an assessment, or for information and advice. We will ask you to contribute towards the cost of day-care. We will charge you for day-care whether you receive the care at one of our centres or through an independent provider.
You will not have to pay a charge if you have been referred to us under section 117 of the Mental Health Act.
How much do I have to pay?
The amount you have to pay for day-care depends on how much you can afford. We will tell you how much you will need to pay before you start to get services. We work this out under rules called ‘Fairer Charging’. This is called a financial assessment.
Everyone who goes to a day-care centre has to pay for any meals they have at the day-care centre, and for transport to and from the day-care centre if we provide this.
Further information see our page on paying for services.
How can I change my day care?
If you want to cancel your day care for any reason such as a holiday or hospital treatment, you should inform your social worker or day care centre.
If you would like to change your day care on a permanent basis, alter what you do at the day centre or change your centre you should contact your social worker.
How can I apply?
To apply for a day care service you have to receive a community care assessment which looks at your needs. This assessment of your needs is described in our page about applying for adult services. The money available limits the services that we can offer, and we cannot meet everyone’s needs all the time. Some people will have more important needs than others and the assessment process helps us find out whose needs are greatest.
What day care centres are available in East Sussex?
If you have been assessed by us and need day care, you will usually attend one of the day centres run by us. You can download a centre leaflet , which provides contact details and what services and activities you can expect from us.
For more information see our day care centres page.
If one of our day centres cannot meet your needs, you may want to attend an independent day centre. You can find a list of these from East Sussex Community Information Services (ESCIS). ESCIS list of providers of day-care in East Sussex.
