Information on care homes

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Sometimes people find living in their own home is no longer possible because of frailty, ill health, disability or other difficulties. Whatever the reason, leaving your own home to be cared for by someone else, even for a short period, requires careful consideration.

If you are able to make your own arrangements and completely fund the costs of your own care, then you can apply directly to any care home of your choice. If you think you may be eligible for help from Renfrewshire Council or the Department for Works and Pensions then you should contact social work who will carry out an assessment of your needs and provide as much advice and information as possible.

Some local care homes are managed by Renfrewshire Council. Other care homes are owned and managed by private or voluntary organisations. You have a right to expect a good quality of care from any home, regardless of who runs it. All care homes are registered, which means they must meet certain standards of care. To make sure that they continue to meet these standards, every home is regularly inspected by the Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (SCSWIS). You can request copies of the inspection reports from SCSWIS.

When you contact social work they will make arrangements to carry out a community care assessment. The main purpose of this is to decide what your needs are, including whether you have a need for a care home. It is also about helping you to make the best choice for your future. This will involve talking to you, your relatives and carers about your circumstances, taking into account:

• the things you are able to do for yourself and the things you would like to;
• health problems, including any recent admissions to hospital;
• ways you could be helped to stay in your own home; and
• medical advice, usually from your GP, on whether you have a need for nursing care.

When social work agrees that you have a need for a care home, it will also consider whether you are eligible for assistance with paying for care home costs. Care costs are related to individual financial circumstances. In the course of your assessment social work will be able to provide you with more detailed information and advice.

Social work will make every effort to explain, and help you through the financial aspects of moving into a care home.

For more information please contact your local social work office whose details are on the right hand menu.

You may want to look at the Scottish Government's national care standards. These standards are used by the Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (SCSWIS) to ensure that everyone receives the same standard of care wherever they live in Scotland.

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