What is residential care?
Residential care is a place to live where trained staff help with everyday tasks that have become hard to manage at home. Each resident has their own bedroom, usually with their own furniture and keepsakes, and shares lounges, dining rooms and gardens with other residents.
The aim is not only safety. A good care home supports a person’s wellbeing, independence and sense of who they are, as well as looking after their health.
What support does a care home provide?
The detail depends on the person, and every resident has a written care plan. Day to day, support usually includes:
- Personal care: help with washing, dressing, going to the toilet and moving around safely.
- Meals and drinks: freshly prepared meals, snacks and drinks through the day, with dietary needs catered for.
- Medication: staff help residents take the right medicines at the right time.
- Company and activities: things to do, from quiet time to outings, so that days do not feel empty.
- Health support: help arranging visits from the GP, district nurse, optician, dentist or chiropodist.
Want to talk it through?
The manager at your nearest home can answer questions, with no pressure to decide.
How is it different from other types of care?
People often use “care home” to mean several different things. This table shows the usual differences.
| Home care | Residential care | Nursing care | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where you live | Your own home | A care home | A care home with nursing |
| Support available | Care workers visit at set times | Staff on site day and night | Staff on site day and night |
| Registered nurse on site | No (district nurses can visit) | No (district nurses can visit) | Yes |
Who is residential care for?
It often suits people who find daily life hard to manage even with help at home. That might be because of frailty, falls, loneliness, or a long-term condition, including memory problems or dementia.
The person themselves should be at the heart of the decision wherever possible.
Questions to ask when you visit
- How do staff get to know each resident’s routines and preferences?
- How are families kept up to date?
- What does a typical week of activities look like?
- What happens if someone’s needs change?
- What was the last inspection rating, and what has changed since?
Common questions
Who inspects care homes?
In England, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspects and rates care homes. Each home’s latest rating and report is public.Can my relative bring their own furniture?
[LENORE CARE TO CONFIRM: the answer, and whether it is the same at every home]What if care needs change over time?
[LENORE CARE TO CONFIRM: how needs are reviewed and what happens if nursing care becomes necessary]
This article is general information, not personal advice. Please speak to the home or your local council about your own situation.
