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Finding a care home isn’t as simple as choosing the one closest to home. As well as checking their reviews and care regulator rating, it’s also important to know the types of care is available in the care home before you arrange a visit.
Residential Care
Residential care is when somebody goes to live in a care setting, rather than receive care in their own home. This could apply to children, adults with illnesses or disabilities or older people. The setting for this can be in a children’s home, a care home, a retirement complex, a hospice, a supported living facility, a rehabilitation centre or a psychiatric hospital.
In care homes, residents usually have their own bedroom or sometimes couples can share a room. These often have en-suite bathrooms. If not, there will be communal bathrooms with aids such as handles or shower seats. Care homes have communal areas such as dining rooms, lounges and gardens. They often have other features such as activities rooms, libraries, beauty salons and even cinemas and their own pub.
Extra Care Housing and Retirement Villages
For older people who want more independence while still benefiting from a community environment, there are options for extra care housing. Retirement complexes or retirement villages enable people to buy their own property, rather than pay regular fees. These villages and complexes have a warden who oversees the properties and organises activities, maintenance and is on-hand for emergencies. These properties usually have communal lounges and gardens and require a passcode or key to enter the building. There are gated retirement communities that unauthorised people cannot enter, so as to maximise security and peace of mind. A similar set up to this is available for adults with physical or learning disabilities.
Personal Care
These are essential daily tasks such as washing and dressing, eating and drinking, assistance with going to the toilet and managing continence pads. Care workers are trained to deliver personal care with respect and the understanding that needing personal care can cause people some embarrassment. Personal care is one of, if not the most common type of care needed. Care workers do it every day and there is nothing to be embarrassed about.
Dementia Care
Dementia care is for people with all forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Pick’s Disease, frontotemporal dementia and vascular dementia. Care homes that provide dementia care will often be designed to help provide a dementia-specific environment. This could include special lighting and colour schemes, sign posting and minimised trip hazards. Staff will be specially trained in dementia care. There are particular care homes available for people with severe dementia, who may no longer be able to speak, move or recognise their loved ones.
Nursing Care
Nursing care is care that is carried out by a registered nurse. Duties that require a registered nurse can include taking blood pressure or blood itself, injections, administering some medications, and treating bed sores or other skin problems. People who need nursing care often have one or multiple illnesses that they cannot manage treatment for alone. Many illnesses need treatments that need to be administered on a regular basis so a care home that offers nursing care is a good option for people with these needs.
Respite Care
This is when a person who receives care from a friend or loved one stays in a care home for a short period of time. This could be a planned stay while their carer goes on holiday or an emergency stay, such as if their carer had to go to hospital. Being in a new environment with new people can be greatly beneficial, while their carer can have time to rest and look after themselves.
Convalescent Care
This is usually a short stay in a care home in order to recover from an illness, surgery or even an accident. Convalescent care helps people to get better through (but not limited to) medication, occupational therapy, physical therapy, counselling and plenty of rest.
End of life care
End of life care is for people who are in the final months, weeks or days of their life so they can live as well as possible until they die. This can be at home, hospital or in a care home. In a care home setting, care workers will support a person with medication and personal care, while supporting them physically and emotionally. Part of end of life care is also to support the person’s family, perhaps through counselling and bereavement support. Many people receiving end of life care also choose to have religious support, such as visits from a priest.
Palliative Care
Palliative care is not quite synonymous with end of life care. It is for those with an incurable illness that they will likely die from, but may have years left. Many care homes offer palliative care. This can include help with day to day activities, managing pain and providing emotional support. Dementia is a disease that may require palliative care, along with diseases such as cancer, liver disease, AIDS or Multiple Sclerosis.
Bariatric Care
A person can be described as possibly needing bariatric care if they are very overweight and are having issue with mobility due to their size or medical conditions such as Type 2 Diabetes as a direct result of their obesity. Those needing bariatric care often need help with personal care and specilist equipment to deliver their care. It can be long-term care or short-term care while they recover from bariatric surgery, such as a gastric bypass. Care workers use hoists and wheelchairs to assist people’s movement, as well as treating weight-related issues such as pressure ulcers.
Mental Health Care
Mental Health is a broad term so if you are looking for mental health care for a loved one, make sure you know what the care home specialises in.
Care for mental health can cover learning disabilities, mental health disorders, people recovering from incidents such as self-harming or attempted suicide, eating disorders and more. Homes that offer mental health care will have specially trained staff who understand the nature of your loved one’s condition. They will know how to manage medication and behaviour while maintaining a good quality of life. Residents will have a range of activities beneficial to them. They may receive counselling or occupational therapy, dependent on the situation.
Homes often have features specially designed for the residents’ needs. For example, sensory or calm rooms are often found in homes that specialise in autism.
Learning Disability Care
Staff are trained to care for people with specific learning disabilities. Conditions such as Autism, Down’s Syndrome, Prader-Willi Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy often live in a small care home together with a bedroom each, or as part of a larger complex where they can have their own flat.
Depending on the person’s needs, learning disability care can include administering medication, personal care and help with mobility. There is a large focus on helping people to live as independently as possible, whether that be through one-to-one activities, help with learning transport routes and managing money or even support finding work. People who do have jobs can even receive support at work. People will be supported in preparing healthy meals, maintaining a routine and pursuing hobbies.
Rehabilitative Care
Commonly known as ‘rehab’, this is for people who are addicted to substances such as alcohol, recreational drugs or prescription medication. Each person will go through a programme to get them off the substance. This involves group and one to one counselling, activities to help them find other outlets for their emotional issues and support through withdrawal symptoms. Rehabilitation centres are places of abstinence. Rather than being weaned off the substance, people will often have medication to manage withdrawal symptoms. Most people stay in rehab for a few weeks or months.
Alcohol or Drugs Dependence Care
Homes that offer this care are not the same as rehab. People who have been in rehab often spend time in a care home afterwards. This may be specially if they usually live by themselves and may relapse without supervision. Or, somebody may go straight into a care home because they cannot look after themselves anymore and have been abusing substances to cope. Care staff will learn the history of the person’s addiction and create a care plan in alignment with a doctor’s instructions. They may supply medication to help manage withdrawal symptoms.
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