When you might want to consider a care home

Care homes provide residential care for people who need substantial help and support with their personal care. Trained staff care for residents 24 hours a day.

There are several types of care homes, depending on the type of care you need. These include:

• residential care homes (personal care)
• care homes with nursing care (personal care with nursing care)
• dual-care homes (personal care, or personal care and nursing care).

For more information about different types of care homes, see our webpage Choosing the right care home.

In addition to 24-hour care, accommodation and meals, care homes should offer suitable outings or social activities.

• If you need a lot of care, particularly during the night as well as the day.
• If your care and supervision needs can’t be met in your own home.
• If you’ve considered these other options, and none of them is right for you:
  • home adaptations
  • home care
  • downsizing
  • moving in with family
  • sheltered housing
  • extra care housing.
• If you’ve had a care needs assessment and your care plan recommends it – see our webpage Getting a care needs assessment.

You’ll need to consider the cost of care homes as well as your wants and needs. The cost of care homes is different depending on where you live – for more information, read our guides Paying care home fees in England and Wales or Paying care home fees in Scotland.

• If you’re becoming forgetful, the structured routine of a care home can be a useful anchor.
• Trained staff are always on hand to help you. They’re experts in caring for older people and they have experience looking after people’s individual needs and requirements.
• Practicalities of living, such as meals, bills and housework, will all be taken care of for you.
• If you need specific equipment, such as stairlifts or grab rails, the home will have these. They’re designed to be fully accessible.
• It can be difficult for friends and family to care for you and they might not have the skills to do it. Trained staff in a care home would be able to give you the right kind of care, and this would also take the pressure off friends and family.
• You’d be safe and secure, which could give you and your family peace of mind.
• You’d have companionship and opportunities for social activities.

• You might need to sell or give away many belongings so that everything you own can fit into one room.
• You might feel you’ve lost your independence and your privacy.
• There may not be much choice in your area, so you could end up having to compromise. For example, you might want a home which accepts pets, but you may be unable to find one.
• The ongoing cost of staying in a care home can be very high, although you may be eligible for funding from your local council. For more information, see our webpage Paying for care in a care home.