There may come a time in your life when you need to move into a care home. You may also choose to move into a care home, even if your local authority doesn't consider it absolutely necessary. Either way, it's important that you choose the right care home for you, and that you understand how much it will cost and how much you'll need to contribute. Below is a simple guide to choosing and paying for a care home.
Step 1: Get a Care Needs Assessment
This is completely free of charge and provided by your local council. An assessment will be made of your needs, and recommendations for support will be set out in a care plan. Depending on your circumstances, the council could recommend help from a carer, changes to your home to assist mobility, or a move to a care home.
You can apply for a care needs assessment through the following services:
- England & Wales : apply-needs-assessment-social-services
- Scotland : Pick your council
- Northern Ireland : Pick your local trust
- Republic of Ireland : hse.ie (Fair Deal Scheme)
Step 2: Get a Means Assessment
If you need to move into a care home, your local authority will look at your income, savings and property to work out how much you'll need to pay. It's essential to make sure you're claiming any benefits you're entitled to, since the local authority will take these into account when assessing your ability to pay. The means assessment will tell you how much the council or NHS will contribute towards your care.
The value of any assets you have is taken into account, and the asset threshold varies across the UK and Ireland. If you fall between the lower and upper threshold then you will be required to pay partial costs, if you fall above the threshold you will be required to pay for all of the costs. The table below shows the total value of assets you can hold before you're required to contribute towards care home costs:
| Location | Lower Asset Threshold | Upper Asset Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| England | £14,250 | £23,250 |
| Scotland | £21,500 | £35,000 |
| Wales | - | £50,000 |
| Northern Ireland | £14,250 | £23,250 |
| Republic of Ireland | Different rules apply | |
The table below shows typical care home costs per week, for one person in a single room, depending on the type of care required. For exact costs, speak directly to the care homes you're interested in — they'll be able to give you a full price list, and it's worth asking what's included versus what may be charged as an additional cost on top of the core weekly package.
| Region | Residential | Nursing | Dementia | Dementia nursing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Midlands | £1,197 | £1,380 | £1,243 | £1,243 |
| East of England | £1,359 | £1,606 | £1,394 | £1,573 |
| London | £1,548 | £1,759 | £1,599 | £1,767 |
| North East England | £1,112 | £1,264 | £1,147 | £1,296 |
| North West England | £1,143 | £1,422 | £1,184 | £1,470 |
| South East England | £1,446 | £1,706 | £1,515 | £1,721 |
| South West England | £1,339 | £1,595 | £1,387 | £1,627 |
| West Midlands | £1,202 | £1,426 | £1,243 | £1,453 |
| Yorkshire & Humber | £1,170 | £1,422 | £1,201 | £1,462 |
| Scotland | £1,539 | £1,646 | £1,603 | £1,656 |
| Wales | £1,156 | £1,394 | £1,217 | £1,440 |
| Northern Ireland | £916 | £1,031 | £1,47 | £1,240 |
| UK average fee | £1,298 | £1,535 | £1,343 | £1,564 |
| Republic of Ireland | €1500 | €1,500 | €1,500 | €1,500 |
Costs are for informational purposes only and will vary from care home to care home.
Step 3: Choose a Care Home
You have the right to choose a care home, but it needs to fit within your budget and provide all the services identified in your means assessment — the home you choose must comply with the terms and conditions set out in your needs assessment. There's a lot to weigh up when choosing a home, which is why BestCareCompare provides detailed information on services, ratings and reviews to help you find the right fit. The main things people tend to consider are:
Residential/Personal Care vs Nursing Care
The main difference between residential care homes and nursing care homes is that nursing homes provide care from a registered nurse. Your needs assessment should indicate whether you need personal care or nursing care, and some homes provide both.
Facilities
Some care homes specialise in particular types of care — for example, specialist support for people living with dementia.
Quality of Care
The Care Quality Commission provides ratings for all care homes in England, which you can find at bestcarecompare.com. The Care Inspectorate provides similar ratings for homes in Scotland, and all care homes across the UK, including Wales and Northern Ireland, are inspected regularly, with reports published online. Alongside inspection reports, you can also read reviews from residents and their loved ones at bestcarecompare.com. It's often worth visiting in person too, to get a genuine feel for a home — contact details for arranging a visit can also be found at bestcarecompare.com.
Size and Style
Size can matter when choosing a care home — some people prefer smaller, more intimate settings, while others prefer being among a larger community. You can filter by number of beds at bestcarecompare.com.
Location
Location is naturally important, since most people want to stay close to friends, family and loved ones. It's also worth considering proximity to the local GP practice, hospital, pharmacy and other amenities — at bestcarecompare.com you can view the distance from each care home to a range of local facilities.
Once you've found a home you'll feel comfortable in, that meets your care needs, and that fits your budget, you can go ahead and arrange your move with the care home provider.