David R.
Kent
Choose between home care and a care home without getting it wrong — understood in a weekend, or your money back.
The Handover Plan is the method that helps you understand what your parent really needs, compare the options and secure the decision — staying at home, or a care home. The professionals stay essential: The Handover Plan is what you take to them, so the meeting is worth having.
- Built on the 48-7-12 Framework: the first 48 hours · the first 7 days · the next 12 weeks
- Printable, fill-in sheets you complete with a pen — plain English, no jargon
- Built with someone who spent twenty years inside England's care homes
- Emailed within minutes · digital only, nothing is posted
- One-off payment, no subscription · 30-day money-back guarantee
🔒 Secure payment📧 Emailed within minutes📍 Written for England♻️ 30-day money back
★★★★★More than 10,000 families have used a guide from the Help Senior range
The real problem
The mistake most English families make? Deciding in a rush, after a fall or a hospital stay.
The doctors and the discharge team are essential. But between the hospital ward and the decision — home care or care home — there is a gap nobody prepares you for. Here is what families live through in that gap, unprepared.
Tuesday · 9:12 am
“She's medically fit for discharge”
The hospital calls: your mother is coming out. She can't live alone any more. You feel you have two days to find a care home place or organise everything at home. Nobody tells you where to start — or that no law actually sets that deadline.
Thursday · 6:45 pm
The quote you daren't look at
A care home sends its fees — well past £1,000 a week, as they often do around here. Nobody knows what the council pays, what Attendance Allowance is, or what you'll really be left to fund. The quote sits on the kitchen table. Three weeks later, it's still there.
Sunday · 2:30 pm
The argument around the table
Your daughter wants her to stay at home. Your son thinks a care home is safer. Nobody actually knows what she can still manage, and nobody has been assessed. Voices rise. Someone leaves the room. Sunday lunch ends there.
None of these scenes comes from a lack of love.
All of them come from the fact that nobody understood the situation in advance.
All of them come from the fact that nobody understood the situation in advance.
3 to 4 hours. One weekend. Real peace of mind.
Simple to fill in.
Impossible to improvise.
Most families put this subject off because it feels heavy, guilt-ridden or complicated.
The Handover Plan makes it simple.
Guided questions. Clear sections. No intimidating blank page.
You move step by step, filling in only what applies to your parent's situation.
A few hours today can save your family weeks of confusion, phone calls and decisions made under pressure later.
Choose your packYour family knows
what to decide.
Everyone else improvises.
Your parent's real needs can be misjudged. Quotes can be scattered. The right questions can stay stuck in your head.
The Handover Plan lets you gather everything into one clear folder you can print and keep to hand.
With the assessment requests. The funding worksheets. Or with someone you trust.
Keep it with your parent's documents. Decide with a clear head.
Families finally taking the time to understand before they decide
★★★★★
“I took a rainy weekend to understand everything calmly with a cup of coffee. That evening, I rang my sister to explain what Mum actually needs and what the options are. For the first time, I felt I truly knew what to do for her.”
★★★★★
“It's practical, it's structured, it's guided. You don't need to know the system to fill it in. I did it at the kitchen table on a Sunday afternoon. We now know how to compare care homes without getting it wrong.”
★★★★★
“We did it together, my wife and I, for my father. Our first real conversation about home care versus a care home without raising our voices. The guided sheets make the subject approachable. We decided together, calmly.”
What nobody tells you
The real problem starts before the care home.
The needs assessment, the means test, the care plan: all of it matters. But between the hospital ward and the decision — home or care home — there is a blind spot nobody talks about.
14
weeks— that's how long one family was told they would wait for social care after discharge. “Leave today, help later.” In that gap, you are on your own — no guide, no comparison grid, nobody to point the way.
If nothing is understood in advance, you sign the first care home with a free bed, discover the real cost too late, and miss support your parent may well have been entitled to — starting with the needs assessment, which is free to everyone whatever their savings, but only if somebody asks for it.
The lesson: finding a bed is not the same as protecting a parent. What makes the difference is understanding and comparing before you sign.
The method
The 48-7-12 Framework
“A care decision is not made in a corridor. It is understood, compared and secured.”
The Handover Plan turns what's spinning in your head into one clear folder, sitting on the table, ready to open.
Simple method. Clear decisions. Peace of mind.
The 48-7-12 Framework
Understand everything before you decide, in 3 simple steps
The 48-7-12 Framework is our own way of organising the process — not a set of legal deadlines. There is no statutory time limit on a needs assessment in England, and no law gives a family 48 hours to choose a care home. These are simply the three windows in which the decisions land, and the order in which it helps to take them.
1
Window 1 · 48 hours
CLARIFY the first 48 hours
Use the first 48 hours to understand what is being proposed — not to make the final decision. What “medically fit for discharge” really means, the exact words to use with the discharge team, who is coordinating the process, and our plain-English “2-in-10” explainer — our own shorthand for one part of the national eligibility framework, so you can follow what an assessment actually looks at.
⚠ Risk if unpreparedRushed into a “48-hour” deadline no law sets · first free bed signed
2
Window 2 · 7 days
ASSESS in the first week
The needs assessment — free to everyone, whatever the savings — your own carer's assessment, the NHS checklist where health needs are in play, and the ready-to-send letters so every request is in writing.
⚠ Risk if unpreparedAssessments never requested · support lost · everything verbal, nothing provable
3
Window 3 · 12 weeks
PROTECT the home & the money
The 12-week property disregard — in some qualifying circumstances the value of a former home may be temporarily left out of the financial assessment — the top-up fees to check before you pay them, Attendance Allowance (not normally means-tested, but subject to eligibility), deferred payment agreements, and the decisions that are hardest to reverse.
⚠ Risk if unpreparedHouse sold in a panic · top-ups paid for nothing · benefits never claimed
★★★★★Customer story
Real life · our customers
Our customers speak for us.
“What a relief. For the first time in weeks, I slept properly. I understood what Mum actually needs, compared the options, and we decided calmly — without tearing each other apart. It's exactly what I needed.”
Christine, 62 · Yorkshire · The Complete Pack
1 Sunday
to understand the essentials
7 points
on our care home comparison grid
3 children
agreed on the decision
★★★★★
Twenty years working inside care homes in England. I've seen so many families arrive in a panic, understanding nothing: a place signed in a rush, the real cost discovered too late, the assessment never requested, the paperwork never read. The Handover Plan does, in a few pages and checklists, what I wished I could have explained to every family for twenty years.
Margaret W., 61twenty years in England's care homes Contributor to The Handover Plan
Before · After
When the day comes, two possible outcomes
The same situation, the same family. Two radically different results, depending on whether you understood the situation — or not.
Without the Plan
- You improvise in a panic for weeks
- The first care home with a free bed gets signed, uncompared
- Your parent's real needs are never properly assessed
- Family arguments, because nobody sees the same picture
- Support missed — the assessments never even requested
- The real cost discovered too late — fees often run past £1,000 a week
- Paperwork signed without reading the small print
- The house put up for sale before anyone asked what the options were
With The Handover Plan
- You open the folder and know what to decide, step by step
- Our 7-point grid compares the options side by side
- The real level of need is assessed — the 2-in-10 check
- Everyone sees the same information — no friction
- The assessments and benefits worth checking, requested in writing
- The real cost anticipated and budgeted calmly
- Paperwork read, sensitive clauses spotted
- The property questions asked at the right time, of the right people
They trust us
More than 10,000 families have used a guide from the Help Senior range
The Handover Plan is the newest guide in that range, written specifically for families in England. The figure above covers our full range of family-organisation guides, not this guide alone.
Already a Handover Plan customer? Share your experience with other families.
Customer reviews
67 · Norwich
The Complete Pack
★★★★★
We avoided a rushed placement
After Mum's fall, the hospital wanted her in the first care home with a free bed, within two days. I was lost. The Plan helped me understand what she actually needs and compare three homes instead of signing one in a panic. We chose the one that truly suited her, not the one that was left. I recommend it to every woman my age.
58 · Leeds
The Complete Pack
★★★★★
Sceptical at first — convinced by the end
I'd already read three brochures about care homes that sat on the shelf. This is different: these are sheets you fill in — you don't have to understand everything first. I've seen families sign paperwork without reading a line of it, and regret it. Thanks to the Plan, I read every clause before signing for my father. Genuinely effective.
62 · Bristol
The Complete Pack
★★★★★
The Sibling Pack saved us from a family fight
My father lost his independence last year. My brothers and I were heading straight for a row: home or care home, who decides, who pays. The Sibling Pack shared the roles out clearly. We followed the three windows one by one. We stayed close, and the decision was made calmly within weeks.
60 · Somerset
The Complete Pack
★★★★★
We stopped and asked the right questions first
We were about to put Mum's house on the market in a rush to pay for the care home. The Complete Pack laid out what we would actually be paying, the questions to put to the council about the property, and how to query a top-up before agreeing to it. We took the time to ask them. Whatever we end up doing, it will be a decision, not a panic. It's a practical tool, not a theory book.
69 · Cumbria
The Complete Pack
★★★★★
The ready-made letters saved me weeks
I had no idea where to start with the council. The ready-to-send letters for the needs assessment and my own carer's assessment saved me weeks. Everything was explained, in the right order, with the right people to write to. For the first time I knew what to ask for, and I asked for it in writing. What a relief.
Complete your order below
CHOOSE YOUR PACKEssential
Most popular
Choose the level of support that fits your situation.
The Essential Pack gets you through the first 48 hours. The Complete Pack is the whole plan — the 48 hours, the first week, and the money side: the house, the fees and the funding.
Secure paymentEmailed within minutesPrintable documents30-day guarantee
The Essential Pack
Understand the situation and know what to do for your parent
£22
One-off payment · no subscription
- The 48-7-12 Framework: Clarify · Assess · Protect
- The Corridor Page — what to say at the hospital, today
- The Decision Grid: home, help at home, care home or urgent
- The Options Map: every solution, compared simply
- The plain-English guide to needs, funding and costs
- The 7 mistakes to avoid in the first days
The Complete Pack
The whole plan: the 48 hours, the first week, and the weeks that protect the home
£108−50%
£54
One-off payment · no subscription
Summer Flash Offer — save £54
- Everything in The Essential Pack
- The 48-hour plan: what to do, in what order, who to call
- The written requests: needs assessment + your own carer's assessment
- The ready-to-send letters
- The list of documents to gather
- The Sibling Pack — share the roles without a fight
- The words for a parent who refuses help
- What self-funders typically pay — the CMA found a gap of around 41% (2017)
- How to check a top-up fee you may not owe
- The house: the 12 protected weeks, deferred payments, what to avoid
- Giving assets away: what can backfire, and on whom
- 30-day guarantee
If in doubt, take The Complete Pack: 48-7-12 only works taken whole, and the money window is the one families discover too late. The Essential Pack is there if the next 48 hours are all you can think about today.
Every order is covered by our 30-day guarantee
Download the Plan, read the documents, print the checklists and start filling them in at your own pace.
If you feel the content hasn't helped you see clearly, simply email raphael@helpsenior.co.uk within 30 days.
No complicated justification, no forms. Once your request is approved we issue the refund within 48–72 business hours, to the payment method you used — your bank or payment provider may take a little longer to show it.
This guarantee sits alongside your statutory rights, including the 14-day right to cancel under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, which we do not disapply for downloaded content.
Frequently asked questions
Everything families ask us
If you can't find your answer, email us at raphael@helpsenior.co.uk.
Does the Plan replace a doctor or a social worker?
No, never. The doctors, the discharge team, the social workers and your local authority remain essential for assessing needs, arranging support and coordinating any move. The Plan is there so that you understand what your parent really needs, compare the options and secure the decision — home care or care home.
When should we start?
At the first signs of lost independence, it's comfortable. After a first fall, it's urgent. After a hospital stay, it's essential. But it's never too early — and never too late. Many families also use it once a care home move is already decided, to prepare it properly and check the money side.
How is it delivered, and how quickly?
It is entirely digital. Your order confirmation arrives straight away, and your documents follow by email within a few minutes — a single page holding all five documents, which you can read on screen, fill in on screen, print, or download as an A4 PDF. Nothing is posted to your home, there is no login and nothing expires. If the email has not arrived, check your spam or junk folder first — new senders often land there — then email raphael@helpsenior.co.uk (Monday–Saturday, 8am–8pm UK time) with the name you ordered under and we will send it across by hand.
What happens to what I write on the sheets?
Nothing leaves your hands. The fill-in sheets work in your own browser: anything you type is saved on your own device so you can come back to it, and there is a "Save as PDF" button that keeps your answers. What you write about your parent — their health, their money, their daily life — is never sent to us and is never stored on our servers. You can also simply print the blank A4 PDF and use a pen. The only details we hold are the ones you give us to buy and be sent the Plan.
Do I need to be good with computers?
No. You get one link, you click it, and everything is on that page. Print what you want and work on paper at your own pace — every document has a Download PDF (A4) button for exactly that. If you need help downloading or printing, our support can guide you by email at raphael@helpsenior.co.uk.
How long does it take to fill in?
3 to 4 hours spread over a quiet weekend. No need to finish in one go: a folder 70% complete is worth infinitely more than a perfect folder never started.
Is there a subscription or renewal?
No. It's a one-off payment. You will never be charged again. No hidden fees, no automatic renewal.
Does this apply in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland?
No — and we'd rather tell you than pretend. The Plan is written for England (the Care Act 2014). Scotland has free personal care and different thresholds; Wales and Northern Ireland have their own rules.
Who am I buying from?
The Handover Plan is published and sold by HELP SENIOR LTD, a private company limited by shares registered in England and Wales (Company Number 17398418), registered office at 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ, United Kingdom. Our Terms of Sale, Privacy Policy and Legal Notice are in English and set out your rights in full.
How do I get a refund if I'm not satisfied?
A simple email to raphael@helpsenior.co.uk within 30 days of purchase, with no justification asked. Once approved, we issue the refund within 48–72 business hours to the payment method you used; your bank or payment provider may take a little longer to display it. This is in addition to your statutory 14-day right to cancel under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, which we do not disapply for downloaded content.
Time to decide
Caring well for a parent isn't a bed found in a hurry. It's a decision understood.
The day your parent can no longer live alone, you won't have to guess. You'll open the folder, and you'll know. A few hours this week can save your family months of chaos.
→ Get The Handover Plan🔒 Secure payment · 📧 Emailed within minutes · ♻️ 30-day money-back guarantee
The Handover Plan — from £22
Choose your pack