Residential and nursing homes are sometimes referred to as care homes. You might have also heard the term ‘residential care' used to refer to the care they provide.
Care homes provide accommodation and personal care for people who need extra support in their daily lives. Personal care might include help with eating, washing, dressing, going to the toilet or taking medication.
Types of care homes
- Care homes - These homes offer staff who help with personal care, such as washing, dressing, taking medication and going to the toilet. They may also offer social activities such as day trips or outings.
- Care homes with nursing - These homes are also referred to as nursing homes. They have staff who offer personal care as well as 24-hour assistance from qualified nurses.
- Care homes with dementia care - These homes are designed to make people with dementia feel comfortable and safe. They often have qualified nurses with dementia training.
- Dual-registered care homes – These homes accept residents who need both personal care and nursing care. This means that if someone moves in only requiring help with personal care, but their needs increase over time, they won't have to move to a different home.
How to pick a home
The decision to recommend a residential or nursing home will only be made after a social care assessment. If a nursing home is recommended, then we also have to agree to this. You can also consider homes in other local authority areas if your needs will be better met there.
When choosing a home, it is important to make sure that you choose one that will be right for you both now and in the future.
You can get advice and information to help you make this important decision from:
- your social worker or assessor
- a district nurse
- a health visitor
- your family doctor
You can find a list of care homes on the Care Quality Commission website. The Care Quality Commission is responsible for inspecting all residential homes.
Age UK provide lots of information including tips on how to find a good care home and advice on paying for it.
Mencap have a section on housing for adults with learning disabilities which includes lots of information about the options available. See Mencap's housing FAQs.
If you would like guidance on care homes, please contact the Lambeth Adult Social Care team.