Is a care home cheaper than a nursing home?

If you are new to searching for care, the terms ‘care home’ and ‘nursing home’ may seem interchangeable, but there are key differences. One of these in all probability will be cost.

A care home provides personal care, such as support with washing, dressing, going to the toilet, eating and drinking, as well as activities, companionship and much more.

Nursing care is care that is delivered by a registered nurse. Nursing homes provide all that care homes do, but they also have registered nurses there to deliver more specialised medical care to residents 24/7.

Is a care home cheaper than a nursing home?

Nursing care is more expensive than residential care, because of added costs of staffing, equipment and insurance. Therefore, on average, a nursing home does cost more than a care home.

The below table shows a comparison of the average costs.

	Care home	Nursing home
Weekly	£1,266	£1,528
Monthly	£5,064	£6,112

Care homes can also provide nursing care, called a ‘care home with nursing’, if they employ a registered nurse but there is not always one on-site. Living in one of these can be more expensive (than a residential care home without nursing) if the person receives the nursing care element as part of their care plan.

There are factors that will affect how much you pay for a care home or a nursing home. These are:

• Medical and support needs of the resident.
• Which care home they want to live in and the size of their room. For example, it can happen that a luxury care home charges more than a more basic nursing home.
• Where in the UK they live.
• The resident’s finances, which determines whether they get financial support.
• Whether the resident is eligible for any financial support with nursing care (see below).

Do people with dementia need nursing care?

Dementia is a progressive and incurable illness. It can affect all sorts of functions. So it is possible that your loved one may need nursing care in the future.

Having them move homes once they do start needing nursing care can be unsettling for them, as people who live with dementia can find it much more difficult to understand new people and surroundings. For this reason, it may be sensible for them to go into a care home with nursing sooner rather than later.

Financial support for nursing care

NHS continuing healthcare

NHS continuing healthcare is not exclusively for people with nursing needs, but you or your loved one may be eligible if you have what is known as a ‘primary health need’. If you do, the NHS will contribute to covering the costs of your care home or nursing home fees.

NHS-funded nursing care (FNC)

People who are eligible for NHS funded nursing care (FNC) will have the nursing element of their care home or nursing home fees paid for by the NHS. They still have to pay for their accommodation and other forms of care, either with local authority funding or privately.

You could be eligible if:

• You live in a nursing home or a care home with nursing
• You have been assessed as needing care from a registered nurse, but do not qualify for NHS continuing healthcare.

How do I know how much the care I need will cost

As shown, on average, care homes are cheaper than nursing homes, but how much you pay is variable depending on your individual needs and circumstances.

To find out exactly what you can expect to pay:

Have a care needs assessment

A care needs assessment looks at a person’s medical and support needs, as well as their lifestyle and goals in receiving care, to ascertain what sort of care they need and how their care plan should look.

Getting a care needs assessment for yourself or a loved one will help you to determine exactly how much nursing care they need, as well as other factors to look for in a potential care home.

Everyone is entitled to a free care needs assessment by their local authority.

Have a financial means test

A financial means test looks at the finances of someone interested in receiving care to determine whether they will pay for it themselves or be eligible for funding from the local authority.

Find out if you are eligible for financial support with nursing care

If you think you or your loved one may be eligible for financial support with nursing care (two NHS-funded options detailed above), you can arrange assessment.

First, arrange an assessment for NHS continuing healthcare. You can do this by speaking to your GP or social care worker; if your loved one is already in a care home, the team there can arrange the assessment.

If you do not qualify for NHS continuing healthcare, you can ask if you qualify instead for NHS-funded nursing care. It is unlikely that you’ll need a second, separate assessment for FNC.

Start looking into potential care homes and see what they can offer

Care homes and nursing homes will be able to give you a more accurate quote once they are familiar with you or your loved one’s specific needs. 

You can use carehome.co.uk’s search feature to start exploring homes in your area.