Care Homes in Downham Market

Downham Market has 4 CQC registered care homes. 2 are rated Good, 1 Requires improvement, and 1 has not yet been rated. 3 of the 4 were last inspected more than three years ago.

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

Planning And Paying For Care In Downham Market

How a placement will be funded usually decides which of the four homes serving Downham Market are realistically open, so it is worth settling that before a favourite emerges. Weekly fees differ by home, by room and by the level of support someone needs. Behind any funded placement sit two separate pieces of work, an assessment of the care required and an assessment of what the person can afford to contribute.

Getting A Care Needs Assessment

A care needs assessment is free and can be requested by the person themselves or by a relative, friend or health professional on their behalf. It considers what someone still manages alone, what has become unsafe and whether support in their own home might work before a move is weighed up at all. Requests go through Norfolk County Council adult social care, which is responsible for assessing eligible needs and arranging funded placements in this area. Ask for the written outcome, since every home will want to read it and it also records anything you disagreed with.

Fees, Contributions And Top Ups

Where eligible needs are confirmed, a financial assessment of income and capital sets what the resident contributes and what the local authority meets under the national charging rules. Families paying privately contract directly with the home and should obtain the fee in writing alongside a plain list of what sits outside it, such as hairdressing, outings or chiropody. If a preferred home charges more than the local authority will fund, a relative may be asked for a third party top up, which should be agreed on paper before a move. Ask too what the home does when a self funding resident's savings fall to the threshold.

Choosing A Home In Downham Market And What To Check

What The Ratings Tell You Here

High Haven and Diamond House hold a rating of Good. Ashville House is currently rated Requires Improvement, which calls for reading the report in full and asking the manager what has changed since the inspection rather than striking the home off. Carrstone House Care Home has not yet been inspected and rated, which is normal for a newer registration but leaves you without independent evidence, so ask how long it has been operating and ask to speak with the registered manager. With evidence this limited across the town, visiting matters more here than it would elsewhere.

Questions Worth Asking On A Visit

Go at a busy time of day rather than mid morning. Count the carers on the floor during the afternoon, ask how many are on duty overnight and ask how much agency cover the home depends on. Watch whether residents are up, dressed and occupied and whether staff speak with people who cannot easily reply. Ask what happens when someone is unwell at the weekend and whether the home could carry on caring for a resident whose needs increase.

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