Care homes near you
You can talk to your local social services department, GP or district nurse, palliative care team, or your hospital doctor or nurse to find out what is available in your area.
When considering a care home, you should ask about its experience and support in providing end of life care. Questions to ask include:
- what does the Care Quality Commission (CQC) say about the service?
- do the care home staff receive regular end of life care training?
- what are the arrangements for care and support from the GP and community nurses, both for routine care and for emergencies?
- does the care home participate in a service improvement programme run by local health or social care services?
- is the care home accredited for the quality of its service, such as by the Gold Standards Framework or other accreditation systems?
Your care may involve the local hospital's palliative care team, the local hospice team, your GP, community nurses and district nurses.
You can search for care homes in your area with the CQC's care homes directory.
Paying for your care
If you are relying on local authority funding, you will not be able to be cared for in a home that costs more than the authority is prepared to pay, unless you or your family can pay the difference.
If you choose to receive care at home, in a care home or in a hospice, you should be assessed for NHS continuing care.
Continuing care is professional care given to meet the physical or mental health needs of adults with a disability, injury or illness over an extended period of time.
NHS continuing healthcare means a package of care that is arranged and funded by the NHS, and is free of charge to the person receiving the care. This is sometimes called "fully funded NHS care".
Read more about what you can expect from end of life care.
