Care Homes in Skelmersdale
Skelmersdale has 4 CQC registered care homes. 4 are rated Good. 2 of the 4 were last inspected more than three years ago.
Source: Care Quality Commission register, kept up to date as ratings change.
Skelmersdale at a glance
What the local numbers say about care for older people in Skelmersdale, 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+: 88. Lancashire average is 89.
- People aged 75 and over: 14,300. Rising to 16,600 by 2035, up 16%
- Care homes, last 12 months: 0 opened, 0 closed. 1 changed owner, covering 70 beds.
- Who pays, across Lancashire (estimate): 41% council, 30% self. The rest is NHS funded or other.
- Living with dementia, aged 65 and over (estimate): 1,800. Rising to 2,300 by 2035, up 25%
- People aged 85 and over: 3,700. Rising to 5,500 by 2035, up 47%
Planned and recent building work within 5 miles
- Former Old Toby Inn Ashurst Road Ashurst Skelmersdale Lancashire. Application for a 100 bed care home. Submitted 9 October 2026. Decision pending. (2.5 miles away)
Powered by Orrery Intelligence. Market model built 22 October 2026 (ONS 2022 based population projections, CQC register), published care home prices, council planning records.
What residential care in Skelmersdale involves and what to look for
Help with washing, dressing, continence, meals and prompting medication is what care staff in these homes provide, with district nurses visiting for anything clinical. None of the four is registered for nursing, so ask each one how it manages a resident whose health declines and what would prompt a move elsewhere, since that answer shapes how long a placement is likely to last.
Where the grades sit
Alma Green Residential Care Home, West Lancashire Short Break Services, Beacon View Home for Older People and Elm House Care Home all hold a Good rating. The breakdown underneath each grade is more useful than the single word, since a home strong on caring may still have had something flagged on staffing or record keeping.
Questions a viewing should answer
Ask how many care staff are on duty by day and overnight, and how much agency cover the home relies on. Ask how many residents each home takes, because that shapes daily life considerably. Request the fee schedule and the notice period in writing, and call in near a mealtime to watch how residents needing help to eat are supported.
Getting an assessment and arranging the funding
The assessment determines which of these homes are suitable at all, so it belongs before the viewings rather than after them. It is free, open to anyone who asks, and a relative may request it with the person's consent. Lancashire County Council is responsible for that assessment and for the financial assessment that follows it, and where a hospital stay is involved the discharge team usually begins the process.
How the means test is applied
Savings, income and, in a permanent placement, usually the value of a property are measured against the national capital thresholds. Capital above the upper threshold means fees are met privately. Below the lower threshold only income is counted, with a weekly personal allowance protected, and a deferred payment arrangement can postpone a sale.
Fees and the allowances people overlook
Ask what a weekly figure includes and what appears as an extra, since hairdressing, chiropody and escorted appointments are usually charged separately. Attendance allowance and the daily living part of personal independence payment are not means tested and are frequently missed. Where a council contribution falls short of a home's private rate, establish in writing whether a third party payment is expected and who would be liable.
4 care homes in Skelmersdale
- Alma Green Residential Care Home · Skelmersdale, Lancashire · CQC Good
- West Short Break Services · Skelmersdale, Lancashire · CQC Good
- Beacon View Home for Older People · Skelmersdale, Lancashire · CQC Good
- Elm House Care Home · Skelmersdale, Lancashire · CQC Good
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
- West Lancashire Short Break Services, 4 September 2025, Good
- Elm House Care Home, 29 July 2025, Good
- Alma Green Residential Care Home, 7 August 2019, Good
Longest since a report
- Beacon View Home for Older People, 23 March 2019, Good
- Alma Green Residential Care Home, 7 August 2019, Good
- Elm House Care Home, 29 July 2025, Good
Frequently asked questions about care homes in Skelmersdale
How many care homes are there in Skelmersdale?
Skelmersdale has 4 CQC registered care homes: 4 Good. Counts come from the CQC register and are kept up to date as ratings change.
How much does a care home cost in Skelmersdale?
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 Skelmersdale were inspected most recently?
West Lancashire Short Break Services (4 September 2025), Elm House Care Home (29 July 2025) and Alma Green Residential Care Home (7 August 2019) have the most recent CQC reports.