Care home vs Nursing home- what is the difference?

There are a lot of different factors that decide whether an individual should move into a residential care home or a nursing home. In most cases, the care and/or nursing needs of the individual will have to be assessed before a decision is made- this will ensure that they are getting the right care for their needs.

Both residential care homes and nursing homes provide 24-hour support. However, nursing homes will always have a nurse or multiple nurses on site 24/7. Often, an individual will move to a nursing home (rather than a residential care home) if they have quite complex nursing needs, such as wound care.

Residential care homes have trained care professionals (care assistants) on hand to assist residents with anything they might need: from simple tasks like making residents a cup of tea, to more complex personal care such as help with bathing, showering or toileting.

Many homes exist as a blend of both residential and nursing care, which is often preferred as your loved one might not need nursing care when they initially move in to the home, but this may become necessary later in life. This way, they do not have to move to a different home in order to have their nursing needs met.

It is usually the case that nursing homes are more expensive than care homes, which makes sense as this includes the cost of the nursing care. However, depending on their care needs and their financial situation, an individual might be entitled to financial assistance with care fees.

Though there are many factors that need to be considered when making these choices, the main thing to focus on is whether your loved one can have their individual care needs met in the homes that you are considering.

For more information or if you wish to discuss care for your loved one please email care@greensleeves.org.uk