Care Homes in Bexley

Bexley has 3 CQC registered care homes. 1 is rated Good, 1 Outstanding, 1 Requires improvement. 2 of the 3 were last inspected more than three years ago.

Source: Care Quality Commission register, kept up to date as ratings change.

Planning and paying for a care home in Bexley

Settling the financial side before the shortlist tends to save repeating the whole exercise later, because what you can afford shapes which homes are realistically available.

The care needs assessment

An assessment of needs is free and open to anybody who appears to require care and support, whatever their savings. Ask the London Borough of Bexley adult social care team for one, or have a GP, district nurse or hospital discharge team refer on your behalf. The written outcome sets out what help is needed and why, which gives homes a clear brief to quote against and is useful even to families expecting to pay privately. Request a carer's assessment at the same time if a relative has been providing much of the support.

Where the council may contribute

A financial assessment then compares income and capital with the national thresholds. Those above the upper limit normally meet the fee in full, while those below may receive partial or complete support. Where somebody's needs are chiefly clinical rather than social, NHS continuing healthcare is assessed separately and can cover the entire cost. If the preferred home charges more than the council will pay, a third party contribution can sometimes bridge the difference, provided it remains affordable for years rather than months.

Fees in context

Fees are quoted weekly and vary with the room as much as the level of care, so establish what sits outside them, such as chiropody, hairdressing and escorted appointments. Ask how often fees are reviewed and what the last increase was before signing anything.

Choosing a home in Bexley and what to check

What the inspection record shows

Groveland Park Care Home holds an Outstanding rating, Parkview is rated Good, and Mountview has been told it requires improvement. Read the Outstanding report to see precisely what inspectors judged exceptional, since it may matter a great deal for your relative or hardly at all. Read the Requires Improvement report in full as well, because the reason is what counts: a finding about record keeping is a different proposition from one about staffing or medication. Ask that home's manager what has changed and what evidence of it you can see.

What to look for in person

Staff turnover tells you more than the furnishings, because continuity shapes everything from mealtimes to how quickly somebody is noticed to be unwell. Ask how long the manager has been in post and how many agency shifts were used last month. Watch how staff speak to residents once the tour has finished, and whether people look occupied rather than merely seated.

Questions that repay asking

Ask how many residents one carer supports overnight and how sickness is covered at short notice. Ask what would happen if your relative's needs increased, and whether that could mean moving on. Ask how families are told about falls, infections and changes to medication, and how often care plans are reviewed with relatives present.

Related searches

• Home Care in Bexley

Care Homes near Bexley

• Bexleyheath
• Sidcup
• Erith
• Dartford
• Chislehurst
• Orpington
• Greenhithe
• Rainham
• Bromley
• South Ockendon