Introduction
Knowing which care home is right for you or a loved family member can be a difficult task. Moving someone into a care home is a big, often overwhelming step in a person’s life and you want to make sure you are choosing the right environment where needs and requirements will be met. When it comes to choosing a care home in London, there are so many to choose from and they all cater to different needs and specialities. In this blog post we are going to take a closer look at some of the best care homes in London, including what they offer their residents, what you should look for when choosing a London care home and also how they are regulated. Read on to find out more about how you can make the best choice when it comes to picking and moving into a London care home
London Care Homes: Quick Facts
There are over 400 care homes in London, with just over 150 of those offering nursing care as well as residential care. Where residential care homes provide residents with day to day assistance, meals, help with medication and outings, nursing care homes also provide medical care from a qualified nurse. Many London care homes also offer specialist dementia care, and these are all things that you should consider before you look for a care home to ensure that you or your loved one will be receiving the specialist care that you/they need. Out of the 400+ care homes in London, 330 of them have received a ‘good’ rating by the Care Quality Commission, but more on that a bit later.
What should you look for in a London care home?
Once you are beginning the process of looking for a care home in London, the first thing you should do is make a list of all the things that you are looking for from it. This list will vary slightly from person to person, as each individual will have their own specific needs and requirements, but here are just some generic things you make sure you are happy with before deciding on a care home:
Type of Care Provided
As we have just discussed, different care homes in the London area all offer different specialist care for different requirements. These include just residential care, nursing care, care for those with illnesses like Dementia and Alzheimer’s, those who need Palliative or end of life care, and also respite care homes for short-term stay and support. Knowing what you or your loved one will need from a care home is the first place to start when looking into them, and if you’re not sure then speaking to a care expert can help you make the right choice.
Cost of Care
Care costs vary greatly, not just from care home to care home but across the UK too. Typically, funding is available but who is eligible/how much help they are eligible for is different from person to person, with some qualifying for financial help from the local authority, and some from NHS funding. Everyone’s care budget is different, so when you are looking into a care home it is important to know what is covered in the costs and what is not at that specific home, and then look into what type of funding, if any, you may be eligible for.
Facilities and Surroundings
It is important to remember that when you are looking into care homes, you are looking for places where you or your loved one will actually be living. It is a big step to move out of your own home and familiar environment into somewhere that is brand new and unfamiliar, so ensuring that it feels right, safe and you are happy is a big thing to consider. Things like where it is, how accessible it is, where it is in relation to local amenities are all things to think about, as well as what the home itself offers- are there nice communal areas? Are the rooms nice? Can you bring your own things from home? Is there outside space if this is what you would like?
There are lots more things to consider too, such as food, day to day schedules and the friendliness of the staff, all of which you should be happy with before choosing a care home.
How are London care homes regulated?
In London, England, all care homes are regulated by a body called the Care Quality Commission, or CQC for short. Over 300 London care homes have received a ‘good’ rating by the CQC, and this is something that you should look at when deciding which care home is right for you or your family member. CQC ratings take into consideration an array of standards and requirements, and these must be met to a high standard in order to receive a good overall rating. These are, therefore, important and you can read all reports for your care home options on their website. Remember though, even though a rating speaks volumes about a care home, the best choice for you or a loved one comes down to their personal care needs and preferences as to where they want to live, and both should be taken into consideration in the decision-making process.
Some of the best London care homes
There are too many care homes in London to delve into detail in, but you can use online tools like Care Sourcer to search for care homes and read up on what they offer and what other people have said about them. Using that tool, I found the below information on just four of the good rated care homes in London, and you can use it too to aid your searching.
Charlton Park Care Home
Located in the village of Charlton, London, Charlton Park Care Home is surrounded by beautiful gardens and is easily accessible to shops and bus stops nearby. They cater to all kinds of complex medical needs and care needs, including specialist dementia care and other long-term medical conditions. They offer care that ranges from 24 hour, around the clock care to respite and palliative care too. They offer nursing assistance from a qualified nurse, and have a range of specialist teams to suit each and every need. Their great community links make this care home exciting for residents, with busy programmes of activities and trips out planned regularly.
Ellesmere House
Ellesmere House is based in Chelsea and is a modern, purpose-built care home which provides nursing and residential care for different needs. This includes care for older people, those with physical disabilities and those who are living with dementia. There are plenty of facilities like a cinema room, activity room and hairdressers along with two outdoor sensory gardens. Care plans are individually tailored so each individual is met with the exact care they need, when they need it.
Magnolia Court
This Hampstead-based care home provides 24 hour nursing care for older people, and also has a specialist suite for those with dementia. Their team strives to deliver the best care possible for their residents, giving the ‘home from home’ feel that everyone wants from a care home, no matter what type of care they are receiving. They plan regular and exciting activities for residents to take part in, and have excellent facilities for enjoyment and comfort. Their care is residential and nursing, and they also offer respite and palliative/end of life care too. The CQC found Magnolia Court to be a ‘good’ standard care home, and you can read the full report on their website.
Queens Court
Queens Court is based in Wimbledon and is residential but also close to local amenities and shops. They offer 24 hour nursing care with personalised care plans put into place, especially for those receiving dementia or end of life care. They have plenty on offer for residents to get involved with, and wonderful facilities to do it in, including communal areas and outdoor patio areas too. Staff know their residents well, and there is always a nurse available on site to provide nursing care. The home has won a number of different awards over the years, including best hanging basket award and they were also ‘commended’ for Gold Standard Framework for End of Life Care.
Conclusion
There are lots of care homes in London to choose from, all with differing care services, environments and facilities. When choosing a care home, it is important to know what requirements you or your loved one will need, and use this going forward to find the care home that is right for you. From looking at things like cost, environment, food, care services and location, to ensuring the home not only has a good rating by the Care Quality Commission as well as other people, there is a lot to consider. Using online tools to search for care homes in the London area and aid your research is the best way to start the process, bearing in mind all the things that you or your loved one want from it.
