Nursing Homes in Newbury

Newbury has 6 CQC registered nursing homes. 5 are rated Good, 1 Requires improvement. All 6 were last inspected more than three years ago.

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

Arranging and Funding Nursing Care in Newbury

Starting with an assessment

Where nursing care is being considered, it helps enormously to have the person's needs set down formally before any home is approached. A care needs assessment is free and covers mobility, continence, skin integrity, medication, nutrition, memory and how much the current arrangement is relying on family. Ask for a carer's assessment at the same time if you provide regular unpaid care, since carers have needs the law recognises in their own right. A relative can make either request on the person's behalf.

Funding, and the nursing element within it

A financial assessment of income and capital follows the needs assessment, and West Berkshire Council Adult Social Care is the body that carries out both stages and confirms the outcome. Alongside that, ask about NHS funded nursing care, which is a contribution paid by the health service directly to the home towards the cost of the nursing element, and about NHS continuing healthcare, which can cover the full package where needs are primarily health related. These are assessed separately from the local authority means test, and families frequently miss them. Get every decision in writing before signing a contract.

What the fees look like

Nursing homes set their own weekly rates, which are generally higher than residential rates because of the qualified staff on site. Ask what would trigger an increase, how much notice is given, and what the contract says about a spell in hospital. Ask too what falls outside the basic fee, as hairdressing, chiropody, escorted appointments and transport are commonly charged separately. Ask specifically whether any nursing contribution is shown separately on the invoice, since that is where confusion usually arises.

Choosing the Right Nursing Home in Newbury

What the inspection record shows

Five homes are rated Good and one is rated Requires Improvement, which means the reports rather than the grades will separate the shortlist. Open each one and look at when the visit took place, what was said about staffing levels and clinical governance, and which areas were marked as capable of improvement. Where a home is rated Requires Improvement, check whether the concerns involved medicines management or pressure care, because those matter a great deal in a nursing setting. Note also whether the manager has changed and whether an improvement plan has been published.

The clinical questions to put

Ask how many qualified nurses are on duty during the day and overnight, and whether agency nurses are used regularly. Ask how the home manages pressure area care, wound dressings, diabetes, catheters and swallowing difficulties, and how quickly a doctor or district nursing input can be brought in. Ask who reviews medication when someone is admitted and how often prescriptions are checked afterwards. Ask what the home does when needs change, and in what circumstances it would say it could no longer meet them.

Judging the place in person

Visit around a mealtime, when staffing and atmosphere are hardest to present favourably, and watch how residents with high dependency are supported to eat. Notice whether people are sitting in comfortable positions, whether call bells are within reach, and how long they ring before anybody comes. Talk to a senior nurse rather than an administrator about night cover and about how families are kept informed when something changes. Then set your own observations beside the inspection report and decide with both in view.

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