Arranging care in Gateshead
Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council covers a mix of urban and semi rural communities in the North East, including Gateshead itself along with Blaydon, Whickham and Rowlands Gill. Families looking into care for a parent, partner or neighbour across these areas usually begin with the same council, which makes the process a little easier to navigate whether you live near the Tyne or further out towards the Derwent Valley.
How adult social care works locally
As a metropolitan borough, Gateshead Council is the single authority responsible for adult social care across the whole area. The first step is to contact the council's adult social care team and request a needs assessment. This assessment is free, and a social worker or assessor will look at daily living, mobility, safety at home and the support already in place from family or neighbours. If the assessment shows eligible needs, Gateshead will then carry out a financial assessment to work out what, if anything, the person is expected to contribute towards their care.
Choice of care and funding
There are around 94 CQC registered care homes across Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council, which gives families a reasonable choice of residential care homes and nursing homes within a short drive of familiar communities like Whickham, Blaydon and Rowlands Gill. Many people also prefer to stay in their own home for as long as possible, so home care from a domiciliary agency is often the starting point before residential options are considered.
Funding usually comes from one of three routes: council funded support after a financial assessment, self funding where savings and property sit above the national capital thresholds, or NHS Continuing Healthcare where needs are primarily health related. As a rough guide for the North East, home care tends to sit around £22 to £25 an hour, residential care homes around £900 to £1,100 a week, and nursing homes around £1,100 to £1,300 a week, with the exact figure depending on the provider and level of need.
If you are just starting out, contacting Gateshead Council for the needs assessment is the practical first move, and from there you can compare local providers with more confidence.
