Care Homes in Salford

Salford has 29 CQC registered care homes. 20 are rated Good, 7 Requires improvement, and 2 have not yet been rated. 20 of the 29 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 Salford

Why the assessment comes before the viewing

Looking at homes before establishing what level of care is needed wastes a great deal of effort. The needs assessment settles that, free of charge, for anyone who appears to require support, with no means test attached to the assessment itself. It covers washing and dressing, mobility, memory, medication, nutrition and the risks someone faces where they live now, and produces a written care and support plan. Ask Salford City Council adult social care to arrange one, since it carries out assessments and agrees any funded support that follows. Self funding families benefit too, because the plan is an independent record of what a home must deliver.

What the financial assessment counts

Income, savings and capital are all examined, and for a permanent residential placement the value of a property is normally included unless a partner or certain other relatives continue to live in it. Depending on the result the council may meet part or all of the fees, or a person may pay privately while contributing from pension income. Where the council funds a placement it agrees a budget based on assessed need, and a home priced above that figure usually requires a third party contribution from a relative.

The fee questions that matter later

Ask what the weekly charge includes and what is invoiced separately, since hairdressing, chiropody, outings and escorted appointments are commonly extra. Ask when fees were last reviewed and by how much they rose. Ask what the home does if a self funding resident's savings fall to the point where council support becomes necessary, because not every home will continue a placement at a council funded rate.

Choosing the right provider in Salford and what to look for

Where the differences actually show

Twenty two homes here are rated Good, five sit at Requires Improvement and two have no published rating. Where a home has not yet been rated it is usually because registration is recent, but the absence of a report does mean you have less to rely on and should ask considerably more. For the rest, start with the inspection date, then read what was recorded about staffing levels, medicines and how residents actually spend their days.

Staffing shapes daily life

Ask how many staff are on duty overnight as well as during the day, how long the manager has been in post and what turnover has been across the year. Ask whether agency staff are used routinely. A settled team notices when a resident is not themselves, and that early recognition does more for wellbeing than any amount of refurbishment or a smart entrance.

Timing your visit

Go at a mealtime rather than a quiet afternoon, when a home is under real pressure. Watch whether people needing help to eat are supported patiently, whether residents are dressed as they would have dressed at home, and whether anyone has been left with nothing to do. Listen to how staff speak to someone who cannot easily reply. Then come back at a different hour on another day before deciding.

Related searches

• Nursing Homes in Salford
• Home Care in Salford

Care Homes near Salford

• Manchester
• Sale
• Heywood
• Bury
• Altrincham
• Oldham
• Cheadle
• Ashton-under-lyne
• Dukinfield
• Bolton