Residential or Nursing Care

Your guide to finding and living in a care home, for yourself or a loved one. It covers the main aspects and challenges of care home provision.

Some of the topics we will cover are:

• Paying for care: You may need to pay for your care home fees. You may get support to help you pay. You should not pay more than you need to.
• 12-week property disregard: Your home may not count in the means test. The means test decides how much you pay for care. You can ask for property disregard in some situations.
• Non-disclosure: You are entitled to not disclose your finances, but there is some risk if you do not tell us. By not telling us about your money and property, you could miss out on support, and in some cases, face penalties.
• Power of attorney: This is when you choose someone to make decisions for you. You need to appoint an attorney and register it. The attorney has to follow some rules and act in your best interest.

Care homes are places where you can live and get care and support onsite, if your needs exceed what you can have at home. You will have your own room and communal spaces you can use daily. You, or your loved one, may benefit from moving into a care home if you need extra support with:

• care and support through the night,
• dressing,
• mobility,
• eating and drinking,
• taking medication.

• Care Quality Commission (CQC) rating
• Do you require specialist care needs and support?
• What is included in the quoted fees for the care home? Will there be any additional cost to consider?
• Can any dietary requirements be met?
• Location - could your loved ones visit you easily?
• Visitor policy - can your loved ones visit you freely?
• Staff to resident ratio
• Are bedrooms/bathrooms accessible?

You may have to pay the full price for your care services if:

• You have more than £23,250 in savings or other assets. This is the official limit set by the Department of Health and Social Care for 2023/24.
• You are assessed as a self-funder as you earn more than what your care costs.
• You choose not to cooperate with the Council's check on your finances.

If none of these apply to you, you will pay what you can afford. This is based on a financial assessment, and called an assessed charge.

Some people who need care and support do not have to pay for it. The Council will give them services for free if they qualify. The criteria are:

• Help following mental health care under section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983.
• Help to stay at home or go back home after being in hospital. This is called intermediate care or home independence. It can last up to 6 weeks.
• Help for adults who have Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
• Any help that the NHS should give them.

The Council follows the law in section 14 of the Care Act when it decides who gets these services for free.