Live-in care in Trowbridge

The council may first offer equipment or reablement, short-term help at home for up to six weeks to relearn everyday tasks; its west Wiltshire reablement team is based at County Hall in Trowbridge, and short-term care is free. If longer-term care is needed, a financial assessment follows: with more than £23,250 in savings your relative would usually pay the full cost, and the home is not counted when care is at home. See council funding for care and direct payments.

If you help a relative, ask Carers Together Wiltshire for a carer’s assessment on 01380 710300; it can be done at home or by phone.

Wiltshire Council’s council tax team is on 0300 456 0109 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm). Discounts or exemptions can apply to:

• carers who live with the person, give at least 35 hours of care a week and are not their partner, where the person gets a qualifying benefit such as Attendance Allowance
• a severe mental impairment that appears permanent, with a doctor’s certificate and a qualifying benefit
• disabled people, where the home has a room, a second bathroom or kitchen, or indoor wheelchair space they need (staff may visit)
• long-term hospital patients

See council tax discounts for care.

• Living with dementia. The GP can refer to the NHS memory service run by Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership, whose North Wiltshire team is in Devizes and Warminster (01380 731298). Beyond Dementia (01225 776481) runs the Mill Street Club in the questions below, Music for the Mind there on Mondays, 2.15pm to 3.45pm (£5), and Community Arts fortnightly on Thursdays at St John’s Communications Centre, Upper Studley (£6). See live-in dementia care.
• Day centres. St John’s Honeypot Day Centre, for older or socially isolated people, meets at Upper Studley Baptist Church Hall, 187 Frome Road, on Mondays (not bank holidays), 11am to 4pm, with lunch at midday (01225 751218). Maple Grove Community Day Centre welcomes over-60s on Wednesdays, 10.30am to 3.30pm.
• For carers. A free Carer Café meets at St John’s Parish Centre, 2 Wingfield Road, on the third Monday of the month, 2pm to 3.30pm (01380 710300).
• Getting about. The Trowbridge Area Link Scheme’s volunteer drivers cover the town and villages including Hilperton, Southwick, North Bradley, Staverton, Steeple Ashton, West Ashton and Keevil, for a donation (07969 347042). Its community minibus takes older and disabled people to lunch clubs and day centres in Trowbridge, including Honeypot and Maple Grove; it is wheelchair accessible and costs £5, or is free with a bus pass (07474 111660).
• Equipment. Wiltshire Council (0300 456 0111) can loan some equipment after a phone call or arrange an occupational therapist’s visit, free of charge.
• Hospice care and bereavement. Dorothy House gives free hospice care, including Hospice at Home, in parts of Wiltshire, depending on the GP practice, and accepts self-referrals (0345 0130 555). Its Bereavement Help Point, open to anyone, meets at Emmanuel’s Yard on the second and fourth Friday, 12.30pm to 2.30pm.
• Advice. Age UK Wiltshire’s free advice line is 0808 196 24 24 (weekdays, 10am to 2pm).