Nursing Homes in Gateshead

Gateshead has 21 CQC registered nursing homes. 20 are rated Good, 1 Requires improvement. 8 of the 21 were last inspected more than three years ago.

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

Planning and Paying for Nursing Care in Gateshead

Money and eligibility are best settled before rooms are viewed, because the answers decide which homes are realistic. An assessment comes first, the financial assessment second, and the shortlist follows from both.

The care needs assessment

Anyone who appears to need care and support can ask for an assessment, and a relative, a GP or a hospital discharge team may request one on their behalf. There is no charge, whatever the household income. Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council social care team carries out that assessment and the financial assessment that follows, the second of which decides how much of the fee the council meets and how much the resident pays. Having eligible needs recorded is useful even for families who intend to fund privately.

Where the money comes from

A nursing placement usually draws on more than one source. A contribution towards care delivered by a registered nurse is paid by the health service directly to the home. Where a person's main need is a health need rather than a social one, a separate assessment can result in the entire package being funded through the health service. Anything not covered by either route is divided between the council and the resident according to the financial assessment.

Reading the fee schedule

Ask every home for its fees in writing rather than accepting a figure on the telephone, and check what sits outside the weekly charge, such as hairdressing, chiropody or escorted appointments. Ask how often fees are reviewed and how much notice is given of an increase. Ask what happens to the room during a hospital stay, and what the home does when private savings fall to the level where council support begins.

Choosing a Nursing Home in Gateshead and What to Check

Looking behind a settled set of ratings

Twenty homes here are rated Good and one is rated Requires Improvement. Where the picture is this consistent, the reports are where the differences show, so look at what inspectors praised, how recently they visited and whether the home was strong on the things that matter most to your relative. At the home rated Requires Improvement, ask the manager precisely what changed afterwards and when.

Questions about clinical care

Ask how many registered nurses are on duty by day and at night, how much agency cover is used and how long the current manager has been in post. Ask what the home is experienced in handling, from pressure care and diabetes to catheter care and support at the end of life. Ask what would happen if a resident deteriorated and whether they could remain.

What to notice while you are there

Visit when the home is busy rather than at a quiet hour. Watch how staff greet residents who are not expecting a visitor, whether people are occupied and how promptly call bells are answered. Ask to see a room that is genuinely available, and stay for a meal if the timing allows, because mealtimes show how staffing works in practice.

Related searches

• Care Homes in Gateshead
• Home Care in Gateshead

Nursing Homes near Gateshead

• Newcastle Upon Tyne
• Hebburn
• Jarrow
• Wallsend
• Chester Le Street
• Stanley
• North Shields
• South Shields
• Sunderland