Care Homes in Ferndown

Ferndown has 14 CQC registered care homes. 12 are rated Good, and 2 have not yet been rated. 7 of the 14 were last inspected more than three years ago.

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

Arranging and funding a care home place in Ferndown

The part families postpone

Fees are the question most families put off and then wish they had not. The route to any contribution from public funds runs through two separate assessments, one of care needs and one of finances, and neither moves quickly. Starting them while the present arrangement still holds is what keeps the choice open later.

Requesting a care needs assessment

Anyone who appears to need care and support has a right to an assessment, whatever their savings. It is carried out by Dorset Council, which considers what the person can manage safely alone and what support would close the gap. Ask for it in writing where you can and keep a note of names and dates. A relative providing regular unpaid support can request a separate carer's assessment, and a hospital discharge team can start the process for someone currently an inpatient.

Who pays and how much

The financial assessment establishes what, if anything, the local authority contributes. Savings and most income are counted, and the value of a property may also be taken into account for a permanent placement, depending on who else still lives in it. Weekly fees differ across the fourteen homes listed here and can differ within a single home according to the room and the level of support required. Ask for the figure in writing together with a clear statement of what it excludes. Where public funding meets part of the cost at a home charging above the usual rate, a third party may be asked to make up the difference.

Choosing the right home in Ferndown and what to look for

When the ratings look alike

Twelve homes rated Good will not sort themselves into an order for you, which makes the reports behind those ratings considerably more useful. Look at when each inspection took place, what inspectors singled out and whether anything was flagged for attention. The two homes yet to be rated are most likely newer registrations, and there the evidence has to come from your own visit and your own questions.

Matching the home to the person

Write down how the person actually spends a day before comparing anywhere: when they wake, what they like to eat, whether they want company or quiet, and what would make a room feel like theirs. Homes here differ far more in atmosphere than in furnishings, and settings such as Kings Park Care Home, Holmwood Rest Home and Chestnut Lodge will each suit a different temperament.

What a visit reveals

Go twice if you can, and time one visit around a mealtime. Ask how many care staff are on duty by day and overnight, how long the registered manager has been in post and how much the team has changed over the past year. Ask what the home would do if needs increased, and whether it has recently supported someone in a similar position, since a specific example tells you more than any general assurance.

Related searches

• Nursing Homes in Ferndown
• Home Care in Ferndown

Care Homes near Ferndown

• Wimborne
• Ringwood
• Bournemouth
• Broadstone
• Poole
• Christchurch