Care Homes in Lancaster
Lancaster has 6 CQC registered care homes. 4 are rated Good, 1 Requires improvement, and 1 has not yet been rated. 5 of the 6 were last inspected more than three years ago.
Source: Care Quality Commission register, kept up to date as ratings change.
Lancaster at a glance
What the local numbers say about care for older people in Lancaster, to help you judge the options below.
- Lancashire County Council pays, residential care: £790 a week. Self-funders are typically asked £1,249 to £1,514, median £1,409
- Care home beds filled across Lancashire: 88%. The 12 month average is 86%.
- Care home beds per 1,000 people aged 75+: 79. Lancashire average is 89.
- People aged 75 and over: 15,800. Rising to 18,200 by 2035, up 15%
- Care homes, last 12 months: 0 opened, 0 closed
- Who pays, across Lancashire (estimate): 41% council, 30% self. The rest is NHS funded or other.
- Living with dementia, aged 65 and over (estimate): 2,100. Rising to 2,500 by 2035, up 22%
- People aged 85 and over: 4,200. Rising to 5,900 by 2035, up 41%
Powered by Orrery Intelligence. Market model built 22 October 2026 (ONS 2022 based population projections, CQC register), published care home prices, council planning records.
Arranging and Funding a Care Home Place in Lancaster
Money is the question families tend to put off, and then find themselves asking under pressure in a hospital corridor. Taking it in order helps considerably. A care needs assessment comes first and establishes what support is required; a financial assessment follows and establishes who pays for it. Both can be requested before any home has been visited, and neither commits anyone to a decision they have not yet made.
The Care Needs Assessment
Lancashire County Council is the authority responsible for carrying out that assessment and for arranging funded support where a person is eligible. An assessor looks at daily routine, mobility, medicines, memory and risk, then records what level of support would meet those needs. The written outcome travels with the person and makes every later conversation with a home far more precise. A relative already providing care can request an assessment of their own needs alongside it, which is worth doing well before matters reach breaking point.
What the Weekly Fee Covers
A financial assessment takes account of savings, income and, for most permanent placements, the value of a property. Those above the threshold pay the fee the home quotes, while those below receive a contribution at a rate the council sets, and families sometimes add a top up to secure a particular room. Fees differ across the homes listed here and reflect room size, the level of care agreed and what is included beyond meals and accommodation. Ask what falls outside the weekly figure, since hairdressing, chiropody and outings are commonly billed separately, and ask what would happen if savings dropped below the threshold in a few years.
Choosing Between the Care Homes in Lancaster
Making Use of the Ratings
The Sands Meadows, Ashton Manor Care Home, The Thorns Retirement Home and Dolphinlee House Home for Older People hold Good ratings, awarded on findings about safety, effectiveness, care, responsiveness and leadership. Chirnside House currently carries a Requires Improvement rating, and the report names precisely what inspectors found, so the fair questions are what has changed since, who is managing the home now, and whether an action plan is being followed. Longcroft has not yet been rated, which means judging it on how precisely it answers questions rather than on a published verdict. In every case the body of a report says a good deal more than the single word printed on its cover.
What to Look For in Person
Visit around a mealtime, when a home is busiest and least able to present a tidied version of itself. Listen to how staff speak to residents, look at whether people are occupied or simply waiting, and notice how long a call bell rings before someone answers. Ask how many permanent staff work a shift, how much agency cover is used across a typical week, and how long the manager has been in post. Ask as well what the home does when a resident is unsettled, because that answer reveals more about leadership than any tour of the building.
6 care homes in Lancaster
- The Sands Meadows · 27 Hest Bank Lane, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA2 6DG
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Sands Care Morecambe Limited
We are a residential care home in Lancaster, providing a permanent home for older people, including many living with dementia. The house runs at an unhurried pace, because most of what makes a care home bearable or pleasant happens in the...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Respite Care - Dolphinlee House Home for Older People · Patterdale Road, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA1 3LZ
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Lancashire County Council
We are a home for older people in Lancaster, caring for people who need help with daily living, including those living with dementia, people with physical disabilities and younger adults who need support. Our aim is a settled house where...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Younger Adults, Respite Care - Chirnside House · Abbeyfield Close, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA1 4NL
Care home · CQC Requires improvement · Run by Abbeyfield Lancaster Society Limited(The)
Chirnside House is a residential care home in Lancaster. We are a permanent home to older people, many of whom are living with dementia, and we also offer respite stays for people needing care for a short period or whose family carer needs...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Respite Care - Ashton Manor Care Home · Scotforth Road, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA1 4XN
Care home · CQC Good · Run by Evermore Care Ltd
Ashton Manor is a residential care home in Lancaster. We are home to older people, including many living with dementia, people with physical disabilities and people living with sight or hearing loss. We support younger adults too, and we...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Respite Care - The Thorns Retirement Home · 1 Coastal Road, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA2 6DW
Care home · CQC Good · Run by The Thorns Retirement Home Limited
The Thorns Retirement Home is a residential care home in Lancaster, Lancashire, for older people who no longer find it easy to manage alone but who have no wish to hand over their independence entirely. We help with the things that have...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Respite Care - Longcroft · 58 Westbourne Road, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA1 5EF
Care home · Run by Langley House Trust
Longcroft provides residential care in Lancaster for older people and younger adults. We support people living with dementia, adults with learning disabilities and autism, people managing mental health conditions, people with physical...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Respite Care, Alcohol / Drug Misuse
What care costs in Lancashire, per week
| Type of care | What the council pays | What self-funders are typically asked |
|---|---|---|
| Residential care North West figure, because too few Lancashire homes publish this price. 20 homes. Median £1,409. | £790 | £1,249 to £1,514 |
| Nursing care England figure, because too few Lancashire homes publish this price. 140 homes. Median £1,916. | £887 | £1,600 to £2,071 |
| Residential dementia care North West figure, because too few Lancashire homes publish this price. 17 homes. Median £1,533. | Not published separately | £1,372 to £1,648 |
| Nursing dementia care England figure, because too few Lancashire homes publish this price. 75 homes. Median £2,050. | Not published separately | £1,890 to £2,221 |
Published prices are often starting prices, and come from homes that publish fees, so treat them as a guide. Ask the home for its own price. Powered by Orrery Intelligence.
Inspected most recently
- Longcroft, 29 July 2025, Not yet rated
- The Sands Meadows, 21 February 2023, Good
- Ashton Manor Care Home, 8 January 2022, Good
Longest since a report
- Chirnside House, 18 May 2018, Requires improvement
- Dolphinlee House Home for Older People, 29 March 2019, Good
- The Thorns Retirement Home, 22 October 2019, Good
Frequently asked questions about care homes in Lancaster
How many care homes are there in Lancaster?
Lancaster has 6 CQC registered care homes: 4 Good, 1 Requires improvement, 1 not yet rated. Counts come from the CQC register and are kept up to date as ratings change.
How much does a care home cost in Lancaster?
Lancashire County Council pays an average of £790 a week for residential care. Self-funders are typically asked £1,249 to £1,514 a week. North West figure, because too few Lancashire homes publish this price. 20 homes. Median £1,409. Published prices are often starting prices, and come from homes that publish fees, so treat them as a guide. Ask the home for its own price.
Which care homes in Lancaster were inspected most recently?
Longcroft (29 July 2025), The Sands Meadows (21 February 2023) and Ashton Manor Care Home (8 January 2022) have the most recent CQC reports.