Care Homes in Stroud

Stroud has 12 CQC registered care homes. 11 are rated Good, 1 Requires improvement. 9 of the 12 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 Stroud

A sequence rather than a single decision

Public help towards a placement is not one decision but a series of them, and the series takes time. An assessment of care needs comes first, a financial assessment follows, and only then is the level of any contribution clear. Beginning while the present arrangement still holds is what keeps the choice open, because families who start late usually end up taking whatever room happens to be free.

The care needs assessment

Anyone who appears to need care and support has a right to an assessment, whatever their savings. It is carried out by Gloucestershire County Council, which considers what the person can manage safely alone and what support would close the gap. Ask for it in writing where you can and keep a note of names and dates. A relative providing regular unpaid support can request a separate carer's assessment, and a hospital discharge team can start the process for someone currently an inpatient.

Who pays and how much

The financial assessment establishes what, if anything, the local authority contributes. Savings and most income are counted, and the value of a property may also be taken into account for a permanent placement, depending on who else still lives in it. Weekly fees differ across the twelve homes listed here and can differ within a single home according to the room and the level of support required. Ask for the figure in writing together with a clear statement of what it excludes. Where public funding meets part of the cost at a home charging above the usual rate, a third party may be asked to make up the difference.

Choosing the right home in Stroud and what to look for

When the ratings agree with each other

Eleven homes sharing the same rating will not sort themselves into an order for you, which makes the reports behind those ratings more useful than the ratings themselves. Look at when each inspection took place, what inspectors singled out and whether anything was flagged for attention. For the home rated Requires Improvement, read what was found and what the provider was asked to put right before ruling it out, because some findings are administrative and others are not.

Matching the home to the person

Write down how the person actually spends a day before comparing anywhere: when they wake, what they like to eat, whether they want company or quiet. Homes here differ far more in atmosphere than in furnishings, and settings such as Highfield House, Winslow House and The Steppes Residential Care Home will each suit a different temperament.

What to ask on a visit

Go twice if you can, and time one visit around a mealtime. Ask how many care staff are on duty by day and overnight, how long the registered manager has been in post and how much the team has changed over the past year. Ask what the home would do if needs increased, and whether it has recently supported someone in a similar position, since a concrete example tells you far more than a general assurance.

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