Choosing a Home

If you live with someone
who may need to go into residential or nursing care and you are unsure about
whether your home will be taken into consideration you may wish to consult a
solicitor for advice. You can also get advice and information on legal,
financial, and welfare rights by ringing Carers Wales on 029 2081 1370.

You have the right to choose a care home but finding one that is
right might take some time. You should make sure the care home you choose has
the facilities, equipment and staff with the right training to meet your needs.
Each local Council sets amounts that they normally pay for someone with your
assessed needs. If you want to move into a care home that is more expensive,
you may need to find a way to pay the difference.
You should also be given a list of registered Residential and Nursing Homes in
your locality by your Social Worker. Arrange to visit any homes which you are
considering. It is useful to draw up a list of questions beforehand and to
describe the needs of the person needing care to the manager of the home to
ensure that the home will be able to provide the necessary care. (A useful list
of questions produced by the Alzheimer’s Society can be found in the Local
Services – Residential Care section. Telephone 029 2052 1872.) You can also
visit www.direct.gov.uk/DisabledPeople for more information.

Moving to a Care Home in Another Area

Local authority funded care in a care home remains with the
local authority area the individual is moving from. Residents who want to move
to a home in another area should be allowed to do so. There may be problems if
homes in the new area are more expensive than your social services will
normally pay. Some authorities will only pay the fee levels that apply in their
own area. However, there might be circumstances where moving to another area
could be an integral part of an individual’s assessed needs, e.g. being close
to relatives. If a local authority will not pay above their own area’s fee
levels, they should be challenged, as it implies that they are not prepared to
look at an individual’s assessed needs.

Regarding the nursing contribution, if a person moves from one
care home to another in a different country (e.g. from Wales to England), it is
the level of nursing care funding applicable in the destination that applies.If you live with someone who may need to go into residential or nursing care and you are unsure about whether your home will be taken into consideration you may wish to consult a solicitor for advice. You can also get advice and information on legal, financial, and welfare rights by ringing Carers Wales on 029 2081 1370. 

You have the right to choose a care home but finding one that is right might take some time. You should make sure the care home you choose has the facilities, equipment and staff with the right training to meet your needs. Each local Council sets amounts that they normally pay for someone with your assessed needs. If you want to move into a care home that is more expensive, you may need to find a way to pay the difference.
You should also be given a list of registered Residential and Nursing Homes in your locality by your Social Worker. Arrange to visit any homes which you are considering. It is useful to draw up a list of questions beforehand and to describe the needs of the person needing care to the manager of the home to ensure that the home will be able to provide the necessary care. (A useful list of questions produced by the Alzheimer’s Society can be found in the Local Services – Residential Care section. Telephone 029 2052 1872.) You can also visit www.direct.gov.uk/DisabledPeople for more information.