Care Homes in Whitley Bay

Whitley Bay has 13 CQC registered care homes. 11 are rated Good, 1 Outstanding, and 1 has not yet been rated. 8 of the 13 were last inspected more than three years ago.

Source: Care Quality Commission register, kept up to date as ratings change.

Arranging a care home place in Whitley Bay and paying for it

The funding position shapes how much of the local list is realistically open, so it belongs at the beginning of the process. A room can be paid for privately, met in part or in full by the council after two separate assessments, or in some circumstances supported by the health service where the need is chiefly clinical. Sorting this out before viewings begin saves families from becoming attached to somewhere that turns out to be beyond reach.

Requesting a care needs assessment

Anyone who appears to need care and support can ask for an assessment, and there is no charge for it whatever someone owns or earns. It looks at washing, dressing, mobility, medication, nutrition and how safely someone manages alone, and produces a written record you can share with any home you approach. North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council carries out that assessment and the separate financial assessment that decides who pays. If you provide care yourself, ask for a carer's assessment at the same time, because your own needs are considered in their own right.

Fees and what they cover

Residential fees are quoted weekly and cover the room, meals, laundry and personal care, with the figure reflecting the level of support needed and the room itself. Where the financial assessment shows that funded support applies, the council may meet part or all of the cost, and above the national threshold fees are paid privately. Ask each home for its rate in writing, ask what is billed separately such as hairdressing, chiropody and transport to appointments, and ask how often fees are reviewed, since an annual increase is normal and worth planning for.

Choosing between the homes and what to check

Thirteen homes is a list you can work through properly. Begin with what the assessment says is needed, then think about how far relatives will be travelling, because regular short visits do more for someone settling in than occasional long ones.

What a uniform inspection picture means

Eastbourne House holds the single Outstanding rating on this page, and eleven further homes are rated Good, including Lenore Care Home, Falmouth House, Kendal House and Milton Lodge. Because almost every home here carries a positive rating, the report text rather than the label is what separates them, describing what inspectors saw at mealtimes, how medication is handled and how staff speak to residents. One home has no published rating, which usually reflects a recent registration. Check the date of each report too, since an older inspection may describe a home under different management.

What a visit should tell you

Go at a mealtime and, if you can, return at a different hour on another day. Notice whether residents are occupied or simply seated, whether staff greet people by name and how quickly a call bell is answered. Ask about staff turnover, how care plans are reviewed and who takes part. Ask what the home does when someone's needs increase beyond what it is registered to provide.

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Care Homes near Whitley Bay

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