How to choose a care home

There are a number of sources of information about care homes.

Local authorities can provide information about care homes in their area.

You can also find out about options through national care inspectorates. These are the organisations responsible for inspecting care settings. It can be useful to look at inspection reports to find out more about individual care homes.

You may be able to find reviews online about different care homes.

Word of mouth recommendations and information can also be helpful.

Personal choice is important. What is going to suit the personality and interests of the person moving to the care home and what is going to work best for you as their carer?

Location is a big factor for many people. Different homes may have different facilities, but how far away might you want to travel if you are going to be visiting on a regular basis?

Some people may prefer a smaller home and others a larger establishment.

Residential homes provide personal care, such as washing, dressing, taking medication and going to the toilet.

Nursing homes provide personal care as well as assistance from qualified nurses. 

One of the major differences between care homes with nursing care compared with those without is in staff ratios. There will be far more staff per resident in a care home with nursing care to reflect the fact that residents need more frequent support with daily tasks and have more complex needs.

Dual registered homes accept residents who need both personal care and nursing care. This means that someone won’t have to change homes when their care needs increase.

Each type of home can provide various specialisms or services, for example dementia care.

A care home providing dementia care services needs a higher staff ratio, which may be reflected in its fees.

Not everyone with dementia needs a specialist home though, many people live in residential or nursing homes.

Often, decisions on care are faced for the first time following a sudden illness, injury or loss of a carer. This means they often need to be made with urgency under distressing circumstances. This can feel overwhelming.

There may not be a vacancy at a suitable and affordable care home at the time when a move is necessary.

You may also need to undergo a funding needs assessment.

You may be allocated a care home place rather than being able to choose a care home.

If possible, it is preferable to plan and time a move to a care home.

This means that you are able to explore options with the person with dementia and others involved in their care as appropriate. You can reach an agreement about what the best option will be.

It may be possible to arrange for someone to have a respite stay at a care home that they may subsequently move to. This provides an opportunity to see how they get on in a particular care home environment.