Choosing Eldercare Advice
Looking for the best eldercare for you or your family?
Good Care Guide has partnered with the CQC to provide information on eldercare for our visitors.
The care system can be complex and a little confusing, so getting good advice and information before you make those difficult decisions about care is crucial.
We hope to alleviate some of the pain by providing easy access to reviews of UK eldercare providers:
It might also be worth considering the following when choosing eldercare
First, what help and care do you need?
You may be clear about what care and support you need if you are living in your own home, or if you think you need to move into a residential care home. But it's always worth getting an independent view.
You're entitled to a free assessment of your care needs by your local authority, regardless of where you currently live or whether you will pay for the care yourself. Local authorities should be able to advise on local care home and nursing home providers that meet your requirements.
Care in your own home
You can buy homecare from a domiciliary care agency who can provide carer(s) to visit your home when you want.
A range of services are normally available, from personal care and help with getting up, bathing and dressing, to assistance with practical tasks like meals, cleaning and shopping.
You can find registered Homecare Agencies on Good Care Guide and read customer reviews about their service. From their profile you can visit and read their homecare rating inspection report by the Care Quality Commission.
Moving into residential care
If you need to move into a care home, spend time choosing the best care home for you. Base your homecare ratings on a number of factors:
- Visit a number of different care homes
- Talk to residents and staff
- Have a meal
- Make sure you get a real feel for each setting.
It's important you can get an idea of what would be the best care home for you. Good care homes should be able to provide written information about its care and facilities, as well as fees and contract terms.
Good Care Guide has 17,111 registered Care Homes listed; you can read reviews and access their Care Quality Commission inspection reports.
Paying for eldercare
Depending on your care needs and your financial position, you may be entitled to have your care paid for by your local authority or the NHS.
Once your care needs have been assessed by your council and the best way to meet them identified, the council will make a financial assessment to see who should pay for your care.
If you have to pay for your own care, it is important that you get independent financial advice to make the most of your own resources.
More advice from CQC: National standards of eldercare
You might find these websites handy:
Find care providers near you
"After reading the official inspection report and visiting the provider, we hope that Good Care Guide becomes a deciding factor in choosing care."
Have you used local care?
If you've used a local care provider - share your experiences. Review nurseries, rate care homes, and help other families make more informed decisions about childcare and eldercare.
Do you own or manage a care setting or UK care agency?
Find out how your Good Care Guide profile can become an even greater tool for your business AND how you can become a member.