Question 1

Which homes are included in this County Durham listing?

Accepted Answer

This page brings together eighty seven residential care homes registered with the Care Quality Commission to operate in County Durham. Each provides accommodation with personal care, meaning support with washing, dressing, meals and medication, and staff on site day and night. The list runs from larger purpose built homes to smaller houses supporting a handful of residents, including providers such as Castle Bank Care Home, Mowbray House, Redwell Hills and Grampian Court. Every entry shows the current rating and links through to the published inspection report.

Question 2

What should I ask on a visit to a care home in County Durham?

Accepted Answer

Ask how many care staff are on duty during the day and overnight, how long the registered manager has been in post, and how far the rota depends on agency cover. Ask to see a recent activity plan and a week of menus, then find out what happens when a resident wants a lie in or turns down a meal. Request the weekly fee in writing with a clear list of anything charged separately, the notice period and the policy on annual increases. It is also worth asking how the home contacts families when something changes and how it handles a complaint.

Question 3

How does a residential care home differ from a nursing home?

Accepted Answer

A residential care home supports people with the everyday tasks of daily life and keeps care staff on site around the clock, without registered nurses based on the premises. A nursing home offers that same support plus clinical care from nurses on site, which suits people with complex medication regimes, wounds or conditions requiring regular clinical oversight. Every home on this County Durham page is registered for residential care rather than nursing. Where nursing needs seem likely to develop, ask whether community nurses can visit or whether a further move would eventually be needed.

Question 4

Can Durham County Council pay towards a care home place?

Accepted Answer

It may, provided the person meets both the care eligibility criteria and the financial test that follows. Durham County Council carries out a financial assessment looking at income, savings and other capital, and uses it to work out how much the person contributes. Those with capital above the national threshold are generally expected to fund the placement themselves, though they can still ask for an assessment and for advice on choosing a home. Where the council contributes, it agrees a personal budget intended to cover the needs it has assessed.

Question 5

How is a care needs assessment arranged in County Durham?

Accepted Answer

Contact the adult social care team at Durham County Council and ask for a care needs assessment. Anyone who appears to need care and support has a right to one whatever their income, and a relative can make the request with the person's consent. The assessment covers washing, dressing, medication, mobility and overnight safety, and ends in a written record of the support required. If the person is currently in hospital, the ward can refer directly to the council, which usually brings the assessment forward.

Question 6

How early should a family start looking?

Accepted Answer

Sooner than most people manage, because the homes that suit best often hold waiting lists and rarely have a room free the week you ring. Beginning while the present arrangement still works leaves time to visit more than once, compare inspection reports and talk to relatives of current residents. A search that starts on the day a discharge date is announced usually ends with whichever home has a vacancy rather than the one that fits. Even a rough shortlist of three or four homes makes a sudden decision considerably less fraught.

Care Homes in County Durham

94 care homes in County Durham (showing 51–94)