Care Homes in Folkestone

Folkestone has 31 CQC registered care homes. 23 are rated Good, 8 Requires improvement. 23 of the 31 were last inspected more than three years ago.

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

Choosing the Right Care Home in Folkestone

What the Ratings Actually Tell You

Thirty one residential care homes are listed for Folkestone, and the picture across them is mixed. Twenty four have been rated Good by the Care Quality Commission and seven are currently rated Requires Improvement. Those headline words are summaries of five separate judgements, covering whether a service is safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led, so two homes carrying the same rating can be strong and weak in quite different places. A Requires Improvement rating does not automatically mean poor day to day care either. It sometimes reflects gaps in record keeping, recruitment checks or management oversight that inspectors expect to see put right. Read the report itself, note the date it was published, and check whether the concerns raised have since been addressed.

Narrowing the Shortlist

Beyond the rating, the practical questions are usually about fit. Consider how large the home is, because a smaller house feels very different from a purpose built home with several floors. Ask whether the home can continue to support someone whose needs increase, or whether a further move to nursing care would eventually be necessary. Check how close it is to the people who will visit most often, since regular visitors matter more to wellbeing than almost anything else on a brochure.

Questions Worth Asking on a Visit

Arrange to visit at a busy time, such as late morning or over a meal, rather than a quiet afternoon. Watch whether staff know residents by name, whether people are occupied or simply sitting, and whether anyone is helped to eat with patience. Ask how many care staff are on duty overnight, how long the manager has been in post, and what the turnover of staff has been over the past year. Ask for the fee schedule in writing and check what falls outside it, as hairdressing, chiropody, escorted appointments and some activities are frequently charged separately.

Arranging and Paying for Care in Folkestone

The Care Needs Assessment

Anyone who appears to need care and support is entitled to a free assessment, whatever their savings. Kent County Council is the authority responsible for carrying that out for people living in Folkestone, and it is the sensible first step even for families who expect to pay privately. The assessment sets out what support a person needs and whether a residential setting is the right answer, and the written outcome is useful evidence when you approach homes directly.

What the Council Will and Will Not Fund

A financial assessment follows the needs assessment and looks at both income and capital. Someone with savings above the national upper threshold is normally expected to meet the full cost themselves, while those below it receive a contribution from the council towards a place it considers suitable. If a family chooses a more expensive home than the council will fund, a third party top up may be required, and that has to come from someone other than the resident in most circumstances. Where a person owns a property, a deferred payment agreement can allow the fees to be settled from its eventual sale rather than upfront.

Getting the Costs Clear Early

Weekly fees vary considerably between homes in the town, and the figure quoted is not always the figure paid. Ask what happens to the fee if needs increase, how much notice is given of an annual rise, and what the arrangement is if a resident goes into hospital for a period. Getting these answers in writing before a contract is signed avoids the most common source of dispute later on.

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• Nursing Homes in Folkestone
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