What is a care / nursing home?

A care home or nursing home is a residential home providing nursing and personal (social) care, in addition to living accommodation.

These homes offer a sanctuary to the elderly when they can no longer rely on themselves or their families to carry out day to day duties such as cooking, cleaning and getting dressed, or when a patient needs constant or regular medical and/or nursing assistance.

Nursing / care homes in the UK are both private and state owned and costs vary accordingly.

What is the difference between social care and nursing care?

In 1999 the British government stated in their NHS Plan that the NHS should be responsible for providing all nursing care without charge no matter where it was delivered. However, social care would continue to be means tested.

In 2001 Section 49 of the Health and Social Care Act stated that paying for nursing care in care homes was no longer the responsibility of local authority social services departments. Instead, the NHS became wholly responsible for providing nursing care.

It isn’t easy to define exactly what social and nursing care are as the lines between them are not clear cut as they do often cross-over into each other but, as a rule, social care is provided by trained care staff and covers day to day personal care and assistance. Nursing care is provided by qualified nursing staff that are on duty round the clock to attend to residents personal medical needs.

How much does a care / nursing home cost?

The cost of residential care in the UK varies greatly depending on where you live and the type of care you require, but on average the cost in England and Wales is around £20,000 per year.

Care homes and care homes with nursing are regulated by different organisations in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is a right of a UK citizen to choose their care home but, in order to enter into care, you must first have your needs and financial condition assessed by your local council.

In England the cost of a care home is means tested. As of February 2008 in England, the lower income limit is £13,000. At this income level, all your income from pensions, savings, benefits and other sources, except a "personal expenses allowance" (currently £20.45), will go to paying the care home fees. The local council pays the remaining contribution. Between the lower limit and the upper income limit, the personal expenses allowance is reduced by £1/week for every £250 higher income you have. If you earn more than the upper level, currently £21,500, you will have to pay the full cost of the care home yourself.

If you require additional nursing care, you can get assessed for this and get additional financial support through the National Health Service (NHS).

A brief history of the NHS

The NHS was started because of an ideal that good healthcare should be available to all, regardless of wealth. The National Health Service or NHS as it came to be known was born on July 5th, 1948 when health secretary Aneurin Bevan opened Park Hospital in Manchester. This was the climax of a hugely ambitious plan to bring free healthcare to Britain. This meant that hospitals, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, opticians and dentists were all brought together under one umbrella organisation to provide health care services of the highest quality without charge to residents of the United Kingdom.

The NHS was founded on a central principle: the health service will be available to all and financed entirely from taxation, meaning that people pay into it according to their means.

Today the NHS is 60 years old and continues to provide care free at the point of need, and is still based on a patient's clinical need, not their ability to pay.