Care homes
Care homes are live-in facilities which provide food, accommodation and personal care for residents, as well as access to 24-hour medical care from trained medical professionals when required.
Sometimes it may not be possible to adapt your house in such a way that you can continue using it freely and you may decide that it is better to move to a new home. You may want to move to a smaller house like a bungalow or a retirement flat, or you may consider moving to a care home. If you are thinking about moving, it is worth considering whether it is best to stay in the area you are in now, or if it would be easier for you to be nearer to shops or closer to family or friends.
The options
If you are finding it difficult to live at home but wish to remain independent, supported housing, such as extra care housing or supported living accommodation, may be able to help you in doing so.
Supported housing options provide the additional support you may need to continue living independently such as help with meal preparation, personal care or other essential daily tasks. The support you receive will depend on your individual needs.
Depending on your care and support needs, an alternative option is a shared lives scheme. This scheme is primarily for adults with dementia, learning disabilities, or mental health issues. You are matched with an approved carer and placed in their home with them.
Choosing a care home
If you feel you are no longer able to live in your own home other alternatives can be considered such as moving into a care home. A care home employs staff to provide the care and support you need. If you have more serious health needs, a nursing home may be more suitable for you, where you can get more specialist nursing support.
Once you have decided on the best option for you, you can use our CarePlace directory to search for care providers who can help you at home or find a care home which suits you.
Care providers have to be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). CQC monitors, inspects and regulates these services to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety.
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How much does it cost?
The cost of care homes varies, often depending on the facilities provided and the amount and type of care and support you need. Care homes with nursing tend to cost more because they provide a greater level of support. If you need nursing care, the NHS will pay the nursing element of your fees.
If the Council is contributing towards the cost of your care, your choice of care home will be limited to those that accept the Council’s funding level. If the home you have chosen charges more than the personal budget, you would have to find someone to help pay the difference. Except in limited circumstances, the law states that you are not allowed to make this additional payment yourself.
The responsibility for this often falls to a member of your family or a benevolent sponsor, such as a charity. If the person making these extra payments cannot continue to make these in the future, we may not automatically pay the difference. If the home will not accept a lower rate, you may need to think about moving to a less expensive care home.
If you pay the full cost of your care home fees, arranged it without our assistance and the care home fees are higher than the Council’s funding level, you will need to think about how the fees will be paid if your capital and savings are likely to fall below £23,250 in the future.