How do I arrange a care needs assessment in Gainsborough?

Contact the adult social care team at Lincolnshire County Council and request an assessment of care needs. The request can be made by the person themselves, by a relative acting with their agreement, or by a hospital or general practice on their behalf. An assessor will look at health, mobility, daily living and the help family members already provide. The written outcome then guides any care plan and any funded support that follows.

Can Lincolnshire County Council fund a nursing home placement?

It can contribute where the care needs assessment concludes that nursing care is required and the financial assessment shows income and capital below the relevant thresholds. Lincolnshire County Council carries out both assessments before agreeing to fund any part of a placement. Where a registered nurse is needed, the NHS may also pay a contribution towards the nursing element of the fee. Households with capital above the threshold usually meet the cost themselves to begin with.

Which nursing homes in Gainsborough are listed here?

Ten providers match this search: Middlefield House Nursing Home, Morton Manor, Ferndene Care Home, Redbourne, Grosvenor House Care Home, Howson Care Centre, Drovers Call Care Home, Eliot House, Blyton Court and Holly Tree Lodge Care Home. All are registered to provide accommodation with nursing care. Redbourne holds an Outstanding rating, four homes are rated Good, three are rated Requires Improvement, one is rated Inadequate and one has not yet been rated. Each profile opens onto the inspection detail for that home.

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

Both provide accommodation, meals and help with personal care such as washing and dressing. A nursing home also keeps registered nurses on the rota at all hours, so clinical care is delivered on the premises. That matters where someone needs wound care, injected medicines, tube feeding or close monitoring of an unstable condition. A residential care home would normally rely on visiting community nurses for those tasks.

How far ahead should a family start looking?

Start as soon as nursing care looks like the likely direction rather than waiting for a hospital discharge date to force a decision. Early enquiries leave time to visit more than once, talk to relatives of current residents and read inspection reports in full. With judgements varying this widely across the list, that reading time genuinely changes which homes make the shortlist. An early assessment also means any funded support is agreed before a room is needed.

What should I ask when visiting a nursing home in Gainsborough?

Ask how many registered nurses are on duty overnight and at weekends, and how much agency cover is used. Ask how care plans are reviewed and how families are told when something changes. Request a recent menu and the activities programme, and ask whether residents keep their own routines for getting up and going to bed. Where a home has been rated below Good, ask what the improvement plan sets out and what has already been put right.

Nursing Homes in Gainsborough

Gainsborough has 10 CQC registered nursing homes. 5 are rated Good, 1 Outstanding, 2 Requires improvement, 1 Inadequate, and 1 has not yet been rated. 7 of the 10 were last inspected more than three years ago.

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

Gainsborough at a glance

What the local numbers say about care for older people in Gainsborough, to help you judge the options below.

Lincolnshire County Council pays, residential care: £783 a week. Self-funders are typically asked £1,233 to £1,449, median £1,356
Care home beds filled across Lincolnshire: 84%. The 12 month average is 84%.
Care home beds per 1,000 people aged 75+: 77. Lincolnshire average is 83.
People aged 75 and over: 13,200. Rising to 15,600 by 2035, up 18%
Care homes, last 12 months: 0 opened, 2 closed. 9 changed owner, covering 466 beds.
Who pays, across Lincolnshire (estimate): 40% council, 36% self. The rest is NHS funded or other.
Living with dementia, aged 65 and over (estimate): 1,700. Rising to 2,100 by 2035, up 28%
People aged 85 and over: 3,100. Rising to 4,900 by 2035, up 57%

Powered by Orrery Intelligence. Market model built 22 October 2026 (ONS 2022 based population projections, CQC register), published care home prices, council planning records.

Arranging nursing care in Gainsborough and paying for it

The assessment that comes first

Almost every route into a nursing home passes through an assessment of need, and it is worth starting there rather than with viewings. Anyone who appears to need care and support may ask for one, whatever their savings, and the duty to carry it out rests with Lincolnshire County Council Adult Social Care. An assessor considers personal care, mobility, nutrition, memory, medical needs and the support relatives are already giving, then records the outcome in writing. That document is what establishes whether nursing care is genuinely the right answer, or whether residential care or a package of support at home could still meet the need. It also gives a family something concrete to hand to each home when asking whether they can take on the level of care involved.

Fees, means testing and the nursing contribution

A financial assessment follows separately, weighing income and capital against the national thresholds. Where someone falls below them, the council contributes towards a placement it has agreed is needed, though a relative may be asked for a third party top up if the family chooses a home costing more than the council would ordinarily fund. Above the threshold, fees are met privately and a fresh assessment can be requested as capital falls. Because nursing is part of what is being bought, the NHS may also pay a contribution towards the nursing element of the fee, and that applies regardless of the means test. Ask each home for a written breakdown of the weekly charge, what it covers, and what is billed separately.

Choosing between the nursing homes in Gainsborough

What the ratings say, and what they leave unsaid

Ten homes match this search and their judgements differ sharply. Redbourne holds an Outstanding rating from the Care Quality Commission. Ferndene Care Home, Eliot House, Blyton Court and Holly Tree Lodge Care Home are each rated Good. Middlefield House Nursing Home, Morton Manor and Howson Care Centre are currently rated Requires Improvement, Drovers Call Care Home has been rated Inadequate, and Grosvenor House Care Home has not yet been rated. Where a rating sits at the lower end, the report will name the specific areas inspectors were not satisfied with, and it is worth reading that in full alongside anything the provider has published in response. A rating describes one inspection at one point in time, so ask any home what has changed since inspectors last visited and who is managing it now.

What to look for once you are through the door

Ask how many registered nurses cover the night shift and the weekend, and how often agency staff fill the gaps, since continuity of nursing shapes the experience more than almost anything else. Ask what happens when a resident deteriorates, who calls the doctor and how quickly families are told. Look at whether residents are occupied rather than simply seated, whether staff use people's names, and whether the atmosphere holds up on a second, less expected visit at a different hour of the day.

10 nursing homes in Gainsborough

Morton Manor · Dog & Duck lane, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, DN21 3BB
Nursing home · CQC Requires improvement · Nursing on site · Run by Devonshire Care 1 Limited
Morton Manor is a nursing home near Gainsborough in Lincolnshire. We provide nursing care for older people and younger adults, including residents living with dementia, residents managing mental health conditions, residents with a physical...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Grosvenor House Care Home · 19 Back Street, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, DN21 3DL
Nursing home · Nursing on site · Run by Grosvenor Care Homes Limited
We at Grosvenor House Care Home are proud to offer dedicated nursing care in the welcoming market town of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire. Our home provides a nurturing environment where older people and younger adults alike can receive the...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Howson Care Centre · Marton Road, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, DN21 5JU
Nursing home · CQC Good · Nursing on site · Run by Howson Care Centre Limited
Howson Care Centre provides nursing and residential care in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire. We look after older people and younger adults, people living with dementia, autistic adults and people with a learning disability, and adults managing...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Middlefield House Nursing Home · Middlefield Lane, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, DN21 1TY
Nursing home · CQC Requires improvement · Nursing on site · Run by Prime Life Limited
We are a nursing home in Gainsborough, supporting adults with learning disabilities and autistic people, including younger adults, whose needs require qualified nursing alongside day to day support. Nursing care in this setting is a...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Holly Tree Lodge Care Home · 3 Eastgate, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, DN21 3QR
Nursing home · CQC Good · Nursing on site · Run by Staywood Limited
Holly Tree Lodge Care Home is in Gainsborough, providing nursing care to older adults, with respite stays also available. We support residents living with dementia, residents with a physical disability, and adults with a learning...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Physical Disability, Respite Care
Drovers Call Care Home · 186 Lea Road, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, DN21 1AN
Nursing home · CQC Inadequate · Nursing on site · Run by Knights Care (5) Limited
Drovers Call Care Home is a nursing home in Gainsborough. We provide nursing care for older people and younger adults, and we support people living with dementia, people with a physical disability, people with a visual or hearing...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Respite Care, Eating Disorders, Alcohol / Drug Misuse
Eliot House · Crooked Billet Street, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, DN21 3AH
Nursing home · CQC Good · Nursing on site · Run by Bramling Cross Care Limited
Eliot House is a nursing home in Gainsborough. We care for older people who need nursing support, including those living with dementia and those living with mental ill health, and people with a physical disability. Respite stays are...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Respite Care
Redbourne · High Street, Gainsborough, North Lincolnshire, DN21 4QU
Nursing home · CQC Outstanding · Nursing on site · Run by Coveberry Limited
Redbourne is a nursing home near Gainsborough. We provide nursing care for adults, mainly younger adults, including people with a learning disability, autistic people and people managing a mental health condition. Respite stays are...
Specialisms: Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Blyton Court · 3 Laughton Road, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, DN21 3LG
Nursing home · CQC Good · Nursing on site · Run by Parkcare Homes (No.2) Limited
We at Blyton Court are proud to offer compassionate nursing home care in the welcoming Lincolnshire town of Gainsborough. Our home provides a calm, supportive environment where residents receive skilled clinical attention alongside the...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Younger Adults, Respite Care
Ferndene Care Home · Park Springs Road, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, DN21 1NY
Nursing home · CQC Good · Nursing on site · Run by Monarch Healthcare (Ferndene) Ltd
Ferndene Care Home is a nursing home in Gainsborough. We care for older people who need nursing support, including those living with dementia, and we also support some younger adults. Respite stays are available alongside permanent places....
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Younger Adults, Respite Care

What care costs in Lincolnshire, per week

Type of care	What the council pays	What self-funders are typically asked
Residential care East Midlands figure, because too few Lincolnshire homes publish this price. 34 homes. Median £1,356.	£783	£1,233 to £1,449
Nursing care England figure, because too few Lincolnshire homes publish this price. 140 homes. Median £1,916.	£824	£1,600 to £2,071
Residential dementia care East Midlands figure, because too few Lincolnshire homes publish this price. 20 homes. Median £1,350.	Not published separately	£1,278 to £1,475
Nursing dementia care England figure, because too few Lincolnshire homes publish this price. 75 homes. Median £2,050.	Not published separately	£1,890 to £2,221

Published prices are often starting prices, and come from homes that publish fees, so treat them as a guide. Ask the home for its own price. Powered by Orrery Intelligence.

Inspected most recently

Eliot House, 15 April 2026, Good
Grosvenor House Care Home, 8 April 2026, Not yet rated
Drovers Call Care Home, 23 December 2023, Inadequate

Longest since a report

Howson Care Centre, 4 April 2019, Good
Holly Tree Lodge Care Home, 30 August 2019, Good
Middlefield House Nursing Home, 29 February 2020, Requires improvement

Frequently asked questions about nursing homes in Gainsborough

How many nursing homes are there in Gainsborough?

Gainsborough has 10 CQC registered nursing homes: 1 Outstanding, 5 Good, 2 Requires improvement, 1 Inadequate, 1 not yet rated. Counts come from the CQC register and are kept up to date as ratings change.

How much does a nursing home cost in Gainsborough?

Lincolnshire County Council pays an average of £783 a week for residential care. Self-funders are typically asked £1,233 to £1,449 a week. East Midlands figure, because too few Lincolnshire homes publish this price. 34 homes. Median £1,356. Published prices are often starting prices, and come from homes that publish fees, so treat them as a guide. Ask the home for its own price.

Which nursing homes in Gainsborough were inspected most recently?

Eliot House (15 April 2026), Grosvenor House Care Home (8 April 2026) and Drovers Call Care Home (23 December 2023) have the most recent CQC reports.

Local care news in Lincolnshire

CQC register adds a new care home in West Lindsey: Chantrey Fields Care Home (5 November 2026)

More local care news for Lincolnshire

Nursing Homes near Gainsborough

Retford