Choosing a care home

Finding the right care home

Every care home across the UK must be registered with the national regulatory body Care Quality Commission (CQC). Each care home should be inspected on a regular basis, how often will depend on previous inspections and information received from care home residents, the public and the local authority.

The CQC inspects all registered care homes and then writes a report on what they find. Reading the reports of the care homes you are considering might help you make a choice Reports are available on the Care Quality Commission website.

You can search for care homes with and without nursing care on the Care Quality Commission website. You can also look for care homes that provide care for people with:

• Learning disabilities
• Physical disabilities
• Sensory impairments
• Dementia
• Mental health needs

Finding the right care home can take some time. If you have specific or complex care needs it can sometimes be difficult. Charities and organisations related to your specific disability might be able to offer advice about choosing a care home.

It is important that you feel comfortable in the home that you choose and that it offers everything you need and is a place you will be happy to live in. Finding out as much as you can about a home will help you make an informed choice.

When you visit a potential home it is important that you ask everything you feel you need to know. Below is a checklist which contains some questions that you might want to ask when you visit a home as well as space so you can compare the different homes you go and see.

Comparing care homes checklist [51KB]

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