Question 1

How do I arrange a care needs assessment in County Durham?

Accepted Answer

Contact the adult social care team at Durham County Council and ask for a care needs assessment. Anyone who appears to need care can request one, and a relative, friend or attorney may ask on their behalf. Where the person is currently in hospital, the ward will usually start the process, but it is worth confirming who is handling it rather than assuming. The assessment is free and unaffected by savings, and the written outcome is the document that determines both funded support and the level of care a home needs to provide.

Question 2

Can Durham County Council pay for a nursing home placement in County Durham?

Accepted Answer

It can, subject to both a care needs assessment and a financial assessment. The needs assessment must establish that nursing care is the right form of support, and the financial assessment then examines capital and income, usually including the value of a property for a permanent move. Where capital falls below the national upper threshold, Durham County Council contributes towards the fees. Separately, NHS funded nursing care is paid towards the nursing element regardless of savings, and NHS Continuing Healthcare can cover the full cost where the primary need is a health need.

Question 3

Which providers in County Durham offer nursing care?

Accepted Answer

Fifty six registered nursing homes are listed on this page, which is the complete field currently registered with the Care Quality Commission for this care type in County Durham. They include Rushyfields Residential and Nursing Home, Brancepeth Court, Lyons Court Care Home, Abigail Lodge and Thornfield Grange, alongside three homes rated Outstanding. Each profile shows the provider name, the care type and the current rating. Opening a profile is the quickest way to confirm what a home is registered to provide before you make contact.

Question 4

What is the difference between a care home and a nursing home?

Accepted Answer

A residential care home supports people with daily living, including washing, dressing, medication prompts, meals and company, with care staff available throughout the day and night. A nursing home provides all of that and has a registered nurse on the premises, which is what allows it to manage clinical needs such as wound care, catheters, feeding tubes and complex medication. Every provider listed on this page is registered as a nursing home. Where a person's needs are primarily social rather than clinical, a residential home may suit better and usually costs less.

Question 5

How far in advance should we start looking at nursing homes in County Durham?

Accepted Answer

As soon as nursing care looks likely rather than certain. Where a move can be planned, a few months allows time for assessments, unhurried visits and a proper reading of inspection reports. Nursing placements are more often arranged at speed from a hospital bed, and in that situation a shortlist drawn up beforehand is worth a great deal. Even three or four homes with fees confirmed and reports read will spare you making the decision entirely on someone else's timetable.

Question 6

What should I ask when visiting a nursing home in County Durham?

Accepted Answer

Start with nursing cover, because it is the reason for choosing this type of home at all: how many registered nurses are on shift by day and overnight, and how often agency nurses are used. Ask how the home manages a deterioration out of hours and which visiting professionals attend regularly. Ask who writes the care plan, how often it is reviewed and how families are told when something changes. Then set those answers against what you saw at a mealtime and in the rooms nobody offered to show you.

Nursing Homes in County Durham

57 nursing homes in County Durham (showing 51–57)