Tenby House Residential Care Home

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Choosing A Care Home:

You should take the time to choose the right Care Home for you and this can take some time. If you have specific or complex care needs it can sometimes be difficult.

Your local council and other support agencies can help you choose a Care Home and your local council may be able to contribute towards the cost.

You have the right to choose which Care Home you live in. If you are paying your fees yourself then you are unrestricted in the Care Home you choose. If your local council is helping with your fees you can still choose as long as:

- Your choice is suitable for your care needs
- There is a place available
- They can agree a contract with the Care Home to make sure you receive the support you need
- The cost is not more than the local council normally pays for someone with your assessed needs

You should always try and visit the Care Homes that you are considering to make sure they meet your current and possible future needs. Sometimes, more than one visit at different times of the day is also beneficial. Things you might want to consider:

- Are staff trained in dealing with your requirements of specialist needs?
- Is the Home accessible?
- Is all equipment available - such as handrails, hoists, adjustable baths, wet-rooms and specialist armchairs?
- Are you able to keep your own doctor or can you choose a different docstor?
- Will your dietary needs be fully met?
- Will your religious beliefs and preferences be met?

You may choose to go into a Care Home if you can no longer manage in your own home. Services you should expect at a Care Home include:

- All meals and accommodation
- Assistance with personal care, such as bathing and dressing
- Adequate staff cover available 24 hours a day
- Physical and emotional support
- Care through short illnesses

Paying For The Cost Of Living In A Care Home:

Many people will have to contribute towards their Care Home fees. Before you move into a Care Home, you'll have a financial assessment with your local council who will look at your income and capital and decide how much you have to pay towards your Care Home fees. Examples of income include:

- Interest on your savings
- Private and/or State Pension
- Some benefits like the care component of Disability Living Allowance

Your capital might include:

- Savings
- Investments
- Any property you might own (like your home or holiday home, for example)

Before your financial assessment you should make sure you are getting all the benefits you are entitled to. This is important because your contribution to your Care Home fees will be worked out as if you are receiving all relevant benefits.No matter how much you have to pay towards your Care Home fees, you must be left with an amount of money to spend each week as you choose.

If you own your home then it will usually be counted as capital 12 weeks after you move permanently into a Care Home. The value of your home will not be counted as capital if certain close relatives still live there.

Usually you will have a needs assessment before a financial assessment. Your local council will be able to tell you how much they usually pay for a Care Home that will meet your needs. They can then arrange a Care Home for you or you can choose one yourself that charges the same sort of price that they usually pay.

You can choose a Care Home that is more expensive than your local council usually pays, but you may need to find a way to pay the difference. If the council can suggest a place that meets your needs and you still want to move into a more expensive Care Home then they can ask a third party (usually a relative or friend) to pay the extra. This is called a 'top-up fee'.

If your local council cannot suggest a place that meets your needs in your local area then they should be prepared to pay more than their usual amount.

Temporary Stays:

If you are unsure that a permanent move into a Care Home is right for you, then a temporary stay could be the answer. A temporary stay in a Care Home can be a welcome break for you and for your carer, if you have one - this is sometimes called respite care. A temporary stay can provide:

- Care while you recover after an illness or a stay in hospital
- Support if you are newly disabled
- A break (respite care) for you and/or your carer
- A break if you live alone to allow you to continue to live independently
- An opportunity to get to know a particular Care Home that suits your needs if you are thinking about permanent care

It is not always easy to arrange temporary care as there has to be a place free in the Care Home. However many Care Homes keep rooms just for short-term care.

If you can pay the complete cost of your temporary care, you can make your own arrangements. Care Home fees vary so it is a good idea to approach several Care Homes. You can ask your local council to assess you for respite care services. If they assess you as needing care they may be able to help pay for it. This may include the same means test as if the move was permanent.

Carers are entitled to an assessment for their own health and well being needs. This may include help with short-term care for the person they look after.

Care Home Standards:

Care Homes are regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which is responsible for monitoring the standards of most private, voluntary and local council Care services.

The CQC inspects all registered Care Homes to make sure they meet National Minimum Standards, which are set by the Department of Health. The CQC only registers Care Homes if they meet these standards. National Minimum Standards set acceptable levels of things like:

- Health and safety
- Access to facilities
- Access to education and employment
- Quality of furnishings and fittings
- Personal care
- Adherence to National Minimum Standards

You can search for Care Homes on the CQC website. You can search for Care Homes with (and without) Nursing Care and for Care Homes that provide care for people with specific needs such as:

- Learning disabilities
- Physical disabilities
- Sensory impairments
- Dementia
- Mental disorders

The CQC also deals with complaints about care service providers. Most people have a positive experience of Care Homes but sometimes problems can come up and you may want to make a complaint.You could ask a friend or relative, a voluntary organisation like the Citizens Advice Bureau or a charity to help you make your complaint.

You can clear up many problems by having an informal chat to a member of staff or the manager of the Care Home. If you're not satisfied that the matter has been cleared up after an informal chat, you may want to make a formal complaint to your Care Home.

All registered care service providers must have a complaints procedure, which should have been clearly explained to you when you moved in. It must set out how service users or those acting on their behalf can complain about the service.

You can complain to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) if you're not satisfied with the result of your formal complaint to your Care Home. You can also complain directly to the CQC from the start. You don't have to tell your Care Home that you have complained to the CQC, but a full investigation might be difficult without them knowing. The CQC will write to you and let you know what they will do about your complaint.