Care Homes in Worcester

Worcester has 21 CQC registered care homes. 15 are rated Good, 3 Requires improvement, and 3 have not yet been rated. 10 of the 21 were last inspected more than three years ago.

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

What residential care in Worcester involves and what to look for

Twenty homes match this search in Worcester, a field wide enough to offer real choice and narrow enough to consider properly. The differences that count tend to appear in three places: what each home is registered to provide, what inspectors found last time they visited, and how the place feels on an unremarkable weekday afternoon.

The care a residential home provides

Every home on this page is registered for residential care, which means trained care staff support daily living while district nurses visit for health needs. That suits someone who needs help with washing, dressing, meals, medication and company rather than continuous clinical care. The listing includes both larger homes and small domestic settings, and some are set up for particular kinds of support rather than general older people's care. Confirm the registration first, then narrow by location, since a home close enough for regular visiting is worth more across the years than almost any other feature.

What the inspection ratings tell you

Sixteen homes here are rated Good, among them Albert Residential Home, Teme Court Residential Care Home, The Mill House Care Home, Northwick Grange and The Willows Care Home. Phoenix House and St Stephen's Care Home were told at their most recent inspection that they require improvement, which is a prompt to read the report rather than an automatic reason to exclude them, since the concerns may be narrow and already acted upon. Options Bredon House and Bedwardine House Residential Care Home have no published rating yet, which usually reflects a recent registration. Check every publication date alongside its judgement.

What to notice once you are through the door

Visit at a busy hour, ideally around lunch, and stay long enough to watch an ordinary stretch of the day. Notice whether residents look comfortable and occupied, whether staff speak to them by name, and whether the lounge carries conversation or only the television. Ask how many staff are on duty overnight, how long the manager has been in post, how much agency cover is used, and what happens when a resident's needs grow beyond residential care.

Getting an assessment and working out the funding

Asking for a care needs assessment

Anyone who appears to need care and support is entitled to a free assessment, whatever their savings. It is arranged through Worcestershire County Council, the authority responsible for adult social care assessments and funded support, and it records the level of help a person needs before any question of payment arises. A relative providing regular care can ask for a carer's assessment at the same time. Keep the written outcome to hand, because homes will want to see what has been agreed.

How the funding question is settled

A financial assessment follows, looking at income, savings and capital to decide whether the local authority contributes towards the weekly fee and how much the resident pays. Where someone owns a property, how it is treated depends on who else lives there and whether the stay is permanent, and a deferred payment arrangement can sometimes prevent a hurried sale. Attendance Allowance is not means tested and is worth claiming separately. Anyone close to the thresholds should ask for the calculation in writing.

What the weekly fee usually includes

Residential fees ordinarily cover the room, all meals, laundry, personal care and the daily life of the home. Hairdressing, chiropody, escorted appointments, outings and newspapers are commonly charged on top, so ask each home for a written schedule showing what falls inside the weekly fee and what does not. Check the notice period and how often fees are reviewed. Families paying privately should also ask what happens if savings fall to the level at which local authority support begins, since not every home continues a placement on that basis.

Related searches

• Nursing Homes in Worcester
• Home Care in Worcester

Care Homes near Worcester

• Droitwich
• Malvern
• Pershore