Choosing a care home

A discussion with a social worker will help you work out what sort of care and support you need and whether residential care is the best option for you. If we agree that residential care is right for you, we can give you information about homes that can meet your needs.

All residential care homes provide personal care for people who are no longer able to live at home, even with support. Some homes provide nursing care as well as personal care and some are also registered to provide specialist care, for example, for people with dementia or a physical disability.

You may wish to visit a number of homes before making a decision. When visiting a home it can be helpful to prepare a list of questions you want to ask before you get there. This helps you get the most out of the visit. It is important that where you live is somewhere that you will feel comfortable and secure. Some homes encourage people to stay for a short period or have a meal with residents to see whether or not the home suits them.

In principle, you can choose to go to any care home that can meet your needs, provided that home has a vacancy. However if you are receiving financial support from the local authority, the local authority and the home must agree on the terms and conditions for your package of care.

The Common Access Point for Health and Social Care (CAP) can give you more information, including a list of care homes in the area.

All care homes have to be inspected by the CIW (Care Inspectorate Wales) (opens new window). You can view the most recent inspection reports about a particular care home on their website.