Care Homes in Haywards Heath

Haywards Heath has 7 CQC registered care homes. 5 are rated Good, 1 Requires improvement, and 1 has not yet been rated. 3 of the 7 were last inspected more than three years ago.

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

What care in Haywards Heath involves and what to look for

Beginning with the person

A useful comparison starts from an honest account of what someone manages alone and where that is beginning to slip. Seven homes appear here, all registered for personal care, so set down the practical requirements before the first visit: help with washing and dressing, medication, mobility, continence, diet, and how well the person copes in unfamiliar surroundings. That written list is what turns a walk round the building into a proper enquiry about the care itself.

Reading behind the ratings

Five of these homes are rated Good, one has been told it requires improvement, and one has not yet been inspected. A rating summarises a long document rather than standing in for it, so open the report. It shows which of the regulator's five key questions drove the judgement and how recently inspectors called, and a Good rating from four years ago rests on older evidence than one from last spring. Where improvement has been required, the report names exactly what was found and what the provider was told to address. For the home awaiting a first inspection, what you observe on a visit and what the manager can account for carry proportionally more weight.

What to notice when you visit

Go at a busy time, ideally around a meal, and watch how staff speak to residents who are not asking them for anything. Ask how many staff are on duty by day and overnight, how long the manager has been in post and what turnover has been like, since continuity shapes daily life far more than decoration does. Summerlands, Magnolia House, Oakwood Court and Walstead Place Care Home each carry a profile here with registration details and current rating.

Getting an assessment and arranging the funding

Requesting the assessment

Funded support follows a care needs assessment, which West Sussex County Council carries out for adults living in this area. The request can be made by the person needing care, by a relative or friend acting on their behalf, or by a professional such as a general practitioner or a hospital discharge team, and it is free whatever the household income. Where a relative provides regular unpaid support, ask for a carer's assessment at the same time, as that is a separate entitlement and easily overlooked.

Fees and contributions

Where eligible needs are identified, a financial assessment establishes the split between the council's contribution and the person's own. Savings and capital above the national threshold ordinarily mean paying privately, with the weekly fee agreed directly with the home. What a quoted fee covers varies more than families expect, so ask each home to spell it out rather than accepting a single figure. Chiropody, hairdressing, newspapers and transport to appointments are commonly billed separately and change the real cost appreciably over a year.

Before a move is agreed

A council contribution can be taken as a direct payment rather than a placement it arranges, which keeps the choice with the family. Read the contract on notice periods and fee reviews, check what happens if needs increase beyond the registration, and ask to see a sample care plan.

Related searches

• Nursing Homes in Haywards Heath
• Home Care in Haywards Heath

Care Homes near Haywards Heath

• Burgess Hill
• Crawley
• Uckfield
• Lewes
• East Grinstead