FAQs and Useful Resources
How can a residential care facility help you improve your life?
As well as assistance with their day-to-day living, residential care facilities offer a safe environment for your loved one to live a fulfilled and happy life. You’ll have 100% certainty that there is someone on-hand to help with your loved ones care, and that they’ll be in a clean and comfortable living environment.
Who can go into a residential care home?
Usually, we care for adults who are no longer able to live independently at home. This could be due to ageing, physical health, mobility, illness or sight or hearing loss.
Who is eligible for residential care?
In the UK, a person must meet some set criteria within a care needs assessment to be eligible for residential care. If your loved one is beginning to struggle to carry out self-care or domestic routines, and is finding it difficult to look after themselves, they may be eligible for care and support.
What’s the difference between nursing care and residential care?
The main difference between nursing care and residential care is that a nursing home always has a qualified nurse on-site to provide medical care. Residential care homes for the elderly however, although still offering 24-hour care, do so without administering medical care.
How is care funded?
People can fund their own care or receive funding from the local authority or NHS. Please speak to one of our Home Managers if you have specific questions about funding. The cost of this may vary depending on a number of factors including the room you choose, the length of stay and amount of 1:1 support you require.
Some people may qualify for financial assistance – if you need financial assistance, your local authority will decide what level of care you require and look at your income and savings to work out whether you will need to make a contribution towards the cost.
Individuals may be eligible for Attendance Allowance/Disabled Living Allowance (AA/DLA). These are both tax-free, non means-tested weekly benefits. If you’re paying for your own care, you’re likely to be eligible. If you’re receiving funding from the local authority or NHS towards your care home costs, this might not be paid as it is effectively included in that funding.
A person might also qualify for Pension Credit. It’s mean-tested, and designed to ensure a minimum guaranteed income for those with limited savings or additional private income.
Contact your local social services department for further information on how to claim.
What happens if my savings run out?
When your savings fall below the upper limits set out by the government, you are likely to be able to qualify for financial assistance. You should contact your local social service department when your savings are approaching this limit, so they’ll know when they need to help.
Useful Resources
The following are a list of useful websites, many of whom are registered charities, who provide support and advice to older people and their families and carers.
- Age UK Age UK is the country’s leading charity for older people and provides a range of information and advice.
- Alzheimer’s Society Alzheimer’s Society is one of the UK’s leading dementia charities. They campaign for change, fund research to find a cure and support people living with dementia today.
- Dementia UK Dementia UK is a charity that provides support care for families affected by all forms of dementia – including Alzheimer’s disease.
- Independent Age Independent Age is a UK charity that provides older people and their families with free and impartial advice on the issues such as care and support, money and benefits, health and mobility.
- Macmillan Cancer Support Macmillan Cancer Support is one of the largest UK charities and provides specialist health care, information and financial support to people affected by cancer.
- National Bereavement Service The National Bereavement Service (NBS) offers bereavement advice and guidance for those in need of support following the death of a loved one.