Question 1

Which care homes in Wakefield are listed on this page?

Accepted Answer

Seventy nine residential care homes registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide care in Wakefield appear here. They offer accommodation together with personal care, covering help with washing, dressing, medication and meals rather than nursing. You can compare them by rating and open any profile to read the inspection report in full. Registration details differ between homes, so check the profile to confirm a home provides the support your relative needs.

Question 2

What should I ask when visiting a care home in Wakefield?

Accepted Answer

Ask what time residents get up and go to bed and how far that can be adapted to suit an individual. Find out how long the registered manager has been in post and how much agency cover the home relies on. Ask to see a recent menu and the week's activities, and ask what happens for someone who would rather stay in their room. It is also fair to ask what the last inspection found and what has changed since.

Question 3

How does a residential care home differ from a nursing home?

Accepted Answer

A residential care home provides somewhere to live along with meals and personal care from a trained staff team, and community nursing is called in when clinical care is needed. A nursing home is registered to have a qualified nurse on duty at all times, which suits someone with continuing medical needs. The homes on this page are registered as residential care homes. If health needs are likely to increase, ask each home what happens then, because not every home can continue to provide care.

Question 4

Can Wakefield Metropolitan District Council fund a placement?

Accepted Answer

Wakefield Metropolitan District Council can fund all or part of a residential placement once a care needs assessment and a financial assessment have been completed. What it pays depends on the level of assessed need and on capital and income, with national thresholds applied to savings and property. Where the council funds a place it pays up to the amount it considers appropriate, so a more expensive home may need a top up from a third party. Ask for written confirmation of what will be paid before you commit.

Question 5

How do I arrange a care needs assessment in Wakefield?

Accepted Answer

Contact the adult social care team at Wakefield Metropolitan District Council and request a care needs assessment, which anyone who appears to need support may have regardless of income. A practitioner will consider what your relative can manage safely and what level of care is needed. A financial assessment then establishes whether the council will contribute towards the cost. Ask early, because assessments take time to arrange and the written outcome helps when approaching homes.

Question 6

How early should we start looking for a care home?

Accepted Answer

Begin sooner than feels necessary, because the homes with the best local reputation often have a waiting list. Visiting two or three while there is no pressure makes the differences between them much easier to weigh. If a hospital discharge is setting the timetable you may have only days, so ask the ward social work team for help and treat that first placement as reviewable. Where a move is months away, keep in touch with your preferred home about likely vacancies.

Care Homes in Wakefield

83 care homes in Wakefield (showing 51–83)