Residential CareLevel of Care

What is the difference between a care home and a nursing home?

The main difference between a care home and a nursing home is the type and level of care which they can provide to meet your specific individual needs.

Nursing homes and care homes both offer personalised, residential care and support to those living in the home. As the benefits of nursing homes and the benefits of care homes are different, it is important to choose the right option for you.

Nursing home vs care home – how do I know which one I need?

Even though the terms ‘nursing home’ and ‘care home’ are often used interchangeably, they mean very different things. The right care option for you will be the one which offers the type and level of care that you need to meet your daily needs and supports you in managing any complex or long-term medical conditions which you may have.

What can I expect from a care home?

Care homes, also called residential care homes, are best suited to individuals who need a little extra support day-to-day, with the comfort and reassurance of knowing that specialist care is always at hand if they need it. Becoming a resident in a residential home can be the next step from receiving home care visits, or perhaps a choice to relieve the burden of running your own home.

Care home benefits:

A home-from-home environment, with the opportunity to personalise your space to make it feel your own.
High-quality, tailored care and support to meet your daily needs.
Help with washing, dressing and personal care.
Assistance with mealtimes and routine medication.
All housework tasks, cooking and laundry are taken care of for you.
A programme of activities, events and entertainment which you can choose to take part in.

What can I expect from a nursing home?

Nursing homes offer an enhanced level of care to that which can be provided in a care home, and can support individuals who are living with complex needs or long-term medical conditions.

Specialist nursing care will be delivered by qualified nurses, who can offer 24/7 hospital-standard nursing care, within a more comfortable, and less clinical, nursing home environment.

Nursing homes deliver everything you would expect from a residential home, whilst also offering these additional nursing home benefits:

Specialist nursing care is delivered by a dedicated, consistent team of qualified nurses.
An alternative to a more clinical hospital environment, with the same high standard of nursing care and the specialist equipment you may need.
A higher level of round-the-clock support to help individuals live well with complex or long-term medical conditions.

Many nursing homes will offer residential care (such as that offered in a care home) in addition to specialist nursing care. This can be very helpful if you currently need a lower level of support, but expect your care needs to increase over time, as you not only have the future reassurance of access to the benefits of nursing home care when you need them but can also enjoy the benefits of a care home straight away.

Your nursing home will be able to put plans in place to continue to meet your increased needs in the future and remove the potential worry of having to move to an alternative home at a later date.

Your nursing home will regularly review your support needs to ensure that you are receiving the right level of care for your safety and well-being.

Which option is right for you?

The journey to finding the right nursing or residential care option for you starts with a care assessment.

A care assessment is a kind of two-way interview between the care provider and the individual seeking care. It’s an opportunity for your selected nursing home or residential care home to understand your specific care needs and get to know you as a person. It’s also an opportunity for you to find out about life in the nursing home or residential home and the care benefits it can offer, along with practical information about the facilities, accommodation, food and activities provided.

Following the care assessment, the care provider will be able to advise if they can meet your individual care needs and if these needs are best met within a residential care home or nursing home environment.

Cost of care homes vs nursing homes

As you might expect, the differing levels of care offered by residential homes and nursing homes generally come with a different price tag. For instance, the care fees for someone requiring round-the-clock specialist nursing care in a nursing home will likely be higher than the care fees of a care home resident who perhaps just needs a little help to get dressed in the morning. However, the way in which care fees are calculated is the same for both nursing homes and care homes.

The starting point will always be the accommodation cost of your chosen nursing home or residential home, on a per-week basis. The cost of your care – which will be tailored to the level and type of care you need to meet your physical health and well-being requirements – will be added to this. Adding these two figures together will provide the overall cost of your care.

Depending upon your medical and financial circumstances, you may be eligible for financial support towards the cost of your care home or nursing home fees. Your Local Authority adult social care team will be able to advise if you are eligible for care home financial support or nursing care funding.