Care Homes
You may choose to go into a care home (also called residential or nursing home) if you can no longer manage in your own home. Services provided by a care home include:
meals and accommodation
help with personal care like bathing and dressing
staff available 24 hours a day
physical and emotional care; and
care through short illnesses.
Residential homes
Residential homes are for people who can no longer remain in their own homes safely due to illness, disability or frailty even though they may receive support from social care services, friends and carers.
There are different types of residential care;
long term care for people who need a lot of help in order to function every day.
short-term residential care, respite breaks for people who need a break from home or for carers who needs a break.
specialist residential care for people from specific ethnic groups who need homes to cater for their cultural needs
short-term residential care for people who are not coping at home, following an illness or hospital stay.
Staff encourage residents to become involved and maintain their independence by helping them or overseeing them with activities like dressing, bathing and cooking.
Residential homes are for people who are;
unable to stay in their own home even with support from services
unable to live at home even with support from a carer
at risk of serious harm if left alone for any period of time
a serious risk to others
at risk because of mental frailty.
Nursing homes
Care homes with nursing provide care for people who have a medical condition that requires nursing, don’t need to be in hospital but also can’t be cared for at home because of their complex medical needs.
Some nursing homes look like hospitals with a nursing station on all floors and others try to provide a more homely feel with qualified nurses on duty 24 hours a day.
Criteria for Nursing homes
The criteria for admission into a care home with nursing are complex, but in general you will:
be so restricted in your movements that you can only be moved from a bed to a chair
be very vulnerable because there is no one who can look after you
need nursing care that cannot be provided in an ordinary residential care home
be frail to the extent that you spend most of the day in bed.
be in need of specific care which only a person with professional nursing training can manage.
no longer able to cope with a care package in your own home.
How do I find out more information?
If you are having a problem managing at home or if you are in hospital and expect to have difficulties once you are discharged, you or someone on your behalf could contact social services (or your care manager if you have one). See link applying for social care services
Alternatively you may choose to carry out your own research. The Hounslow Care Directory provides useful information on local residential and nursing care homes in and around the borough. Use the link below to get access to the Hounslow Care Directory