Nursing Homes in Surbiton

Surbiton has 8 CQC registered nursing homes. 6 are rated Good, and 2 have not yet been rated. 4 of the 8 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 Surbiton

The assessment that comes first

Where nursing care is in prospect, having the person's needs formally recorded before homes are approached saves a great deal of time afterwards. The care needs assessment is free and considers mobility, continence, skin integrity, medication, nutrition, memory and how much the current arrangement leans on family. Ask for a carer's assessment at the same time if you provide regular unpaid care, since carers have rights of their own under the law. A relative can make either request on the person's behalf.

Three funding questions rather than one

The means tested route runs through a financial assessment of income and capital, and the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames social care team carries out that and the needs assessment before confirming the outcome. Separately, NHS funded nursing care is a contribution paid by the health service directly to the home towards the nursing element of the fee. Separately again, NHS continuing healthcare can meet the entire cost where needs are primarily health related. Families commonly pursue only the first of the three, so ask about all of them and get each answer in writing.

What the fees look like

Nursing homes set their own weekly rates, generally above residential rates because qualified staff are employed on site at all hours. Ask what would trigger an increase, how much notice is given, and what the contract says about a period spent in hospital. Ask what falls outside the basic fee, as hairdressing, chiropody, escorted appointments and transport are usually charged separately. Ask specifically whether any nursing contribution is itemised on the invoice, since that is where most confusion begins.

Choosing the Right Nursing Home in Surbiton

Reading the record properly

Five homes are rated Good and one is rated Requires Improvement, so the reports rather than the grades will separate a shortlist. Open each and look at when the inspection took place, what was said about nurse staffing and clinical governance, and which areas were identified as capable of improvement. Where a home is rated Requires Improvement, check specifically whether medicines management or pressure care featured, as those weigh heavily in a nursing setting. Note too whether the manager has changed and whether an improvement plan has been published since.

The clinical questions to put

Ask how many qualified nurses are on duty during the day and overnight, and how often agency nurses are used to fill gaps. Ask how wounds, pressure areas, diabetes, catheters and swallowing difficulties are managed, and how quickly medical input can be arranged when someone deteriorates. Ask who reviews medication on admission and how regularly prescriptions are checked afterwards. Ask in what circumstances the home would conclude it could no longer meet someone's needs.

What a visit adds

Go around a mealtime, and watch how residents with high dependency are supported to eat and drink, since that is where staffing pressure shows first. Notice whether people are positioned comfortably, whether call bells are within reach, and how long they ring before anybody responds. Direct questions about night cover and about how families are contacted when something changes to a senior nurse rather than an administrator. Then weigh what you saw against what the report recorded and decide with both in view.

Related searches

• Care Homes in Surbiton
• Home Care in Surbiton

Nursing Homes near Surbiton

• New Malden
• Kingston Upon Thames
• Epsom
• Morden
• Sutton
• Twickenham
• Ashtead
• Mitcham
• Banstead