Care Homes

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Do I need a care home?

There are many different types of care homes, ranging from homes which provide specialist nursing or dementia care to others that provide 24 hour support for people who need assistance with daily living activities.

Before deciding to move to a care home, you should think about other options including home care or other help to live independently in your own home, for example assistive technology. There are also other alternatives to care homes, such as warden controlled sheltered accommodation and extra care housing schemes, which may be more suitable.

The right care home will depend on the level of care and support you need. The care home will work with the person entering their care home to undertake a full care and support assessment, often with input from family or friends, social workers, care managers or GP’s.

How much will I have to pay for residential care?

If you have to go into a residential care or nursing home, the cost will be one of the things that concerns you most. There are a number of care homes in the borough and they all charge different amounts, depending on the facilities they provide and the amount of care you need.

National guidance states that everyone has to pay something towards their stay. How much that is will depend on your personal circumstances and we'll look at your finances with you, to help work this out.

What if I'm only going in for a short stay?

If your stay is temporary there is a fixed weekly charge, depending on your age.

Will I pay for my nursing care?

Help towards the cost of nursing home care is provided in part by the NHS  and maybe in part by the council.

Everyone assessed as requiring a nursing home to meet their nursing needs is entitled to a weekly contribution from the NHS regardless of their income or savings. This is paid directly to the nursing home.

Find out about NHS funded nursing care on the NHS website

You may be entitled to financial support from the council to cover some of the remaining cost if you're assessed as requiring a nursing home. You'll get help to fill out a financial assessment form to see if you qualify for financial help.

How can I request help from the council with the costs?

If you're not already receiving care from the council, you'll first need to have a care and support assessment. To establish whether you qualify for financial help you'll need to complete a financial assessment form. We'll meet with you to help you do this.

We have to take into account:

  • Pensions
  • Wages
  • Pension Credit
  • Income Support
  • Any extra benefits you may be entitled to claim for your stay in the home

We don't count the following as part of your income:

  • Disability Living Allowance
  • Attendance Allowance

We also take into account any savings you may have. This includes capital assets, which usually includes the value of your home.

If your savings are over £23,250 you'll have to pay the full cost of your stay in the home.

Any savings between £14,250 and £23,250 will be taken into account when we work out how much you'll have to contribute.

Please note that the financial assessment and contribution applies to the person who will receive the service.

Request a care and support assessment on the Staywell website

More about paying for residential care

What if I own a property?

To help work out how much you have to pay towards care home fees, we'll carry out a financial assessment, taking into account how much income you get and what capital you have. Any property you own will normally be included as one of your capital assets.

Deferred payments

If the value of your home is more than £23,250 you may not have to sell your home now to pay the fees. We offer a Deferred Payment Scheme which could mean we can pay for your care cost until you your property is sold.

Top-up fees for residential care

If you are thinking of moving into a residential or nursing home you will need to be aware that some providers charge top-up fees. Paying a top-up fee could increase your choice of accommodation.

What happens to my benefits?

When you move into a care home, most of the pension and benefit income you receive won't change and it will be taken into account when we assess how much you'll need to contribute towards the cost of your residential and nursing care. There are, however, some exceptions.

More about care and support from the council
Organisations that can help you choose a care home

These organisations can give you further advice, see external links below:

Contact us

Rochdale Adult Care

Telephone: 0300 303 8886 (Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.45pm)

Telephone: 0300 303 8875 (Emergency Duty Team out of hours; including bank holidays)

Email: adult.care@rochdale.gov.uk 

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Help choosing a care home video