Finding a Care Home
Care Homes in west Essex are all privately owned, and are regulated by the Care Quality Commission which sets out the national standards they must adhere to.
Residents in west Essex can be:
- Self-funded
- Funded – or partly funded – by the local authority
- Funded by NHS West Essex CCG Continuing Healthcare (or your local CCG, depending on where you live)
There are several different types of care home, however, broadly speaking these can be divided into two groups:
- Those that offer accommodation and help with personal care including activities such as washing, dressing and going to the toilet
- Those that provide the above services as well as nursing care
The care home that is right for you, or the individual you care for, will depend on any specific health and care needs you or they may have. In addition to those above, some care homes also offer specialist care for people with dementia and other long-term conditions or illnesses. All care homes must make it clear what level of care they provide and how they will meet each resident’s health and care needs.
To view a list of care homes in Essex, please click here to download a copy of the Essex and Southend-on-Sea Care Services Directory. The directory also specifies the different needs each care home is able to meet and the NHS Choices website allows you to search for the care home that is closest to you by entering your postcode. This can also be refined further by selecting the type of care home you are looking for.
Patient Experience
Most people don’t consider the process of looking for a care home until they need to. Whilst there is lots of information available to help you find the right home, this can seem daunting. We’ve worked with a member of our new patient reference group, Maggie, who had to go through this process earlier this year.
Maggie’s experience of looking for a care home for her mother, Ruby, has given her a unique insight into exactly how the process works including things that went well and aspects of the process that need improving.
View Maggie’s guide to looking for a care home, questions to ask, what to look out for and the realities of the whole process in her own words.