Choosing a care home FAQs

The best way to experience a care home is in-person, this way you can see what life is like in the home and talk to their staff to find out more. We have created a handy guide of things to consider, that you might find useful when visiting. Review websites like carehome.co.uk also offer an insight into the home and other people's experiences of it.

Barchester care homes can also offer you a trial stay, known as a respite stay, to help you decide whether it is the right home for you or your loved one.

Depending on your circumstances, finding a care home near you can either be a long, researched process — or a fast emergency need. Whatever the reason, many people start by using a search engine to search for care homes nearby, or searching for the name of a care home they have seen in their local area. 

If you know that your loved one will need specific care such as dementia or just respite, then it’s worth searching specifically for that type of care to filter out homes that maybe don’t offer those. 

With over 220 care homes across the UK, our friendly teams can help you to find the right care home for yourself or a loved one. Use our care home search to find Barchester care homes near you.

Care homes are purpose-built for people in their later stages of live, where they receive support with every day tasks and activities. This may include assistance with personal care such as eating, washing and dressing or more specialist care for people with nursing or dementia care needs.

As well as providing the right level of care, delicious and nutritious food and companionship, Barchester homes support residents to continue doing the things they love in high-quality environments designed with their comfort and well-being in mind.

As we live longer, the need for extra support increases, especially with day-to-day tasks and personal care, and quite often these can become too much for an individual or their family to manage. Care homes offer safe environments and a high level of support 24 hours a day.

Generally you will make the decision of which care home to move into. Following a needs assessment, you will have a better understanding of the care required and you will be able to look for care homes that meet those needs. 

If your local authority is covering some of the cost of care they will be able to advise you on your rights and options. If your preferred home costs more than your local authority will pay, any extra costs will be paid as a ‘top-up’.

We understand that moving into a care home can be a challenging time, and it’s important that the transition is as pleasant as possible for residents and their families. If possible, several visits to the home is advised - allowing your loved one to become acquainted with the environment before moving. 

Starting with short respite care stays before moving to full residential care is often seen as a great way to help ease the transition. Many care homes offer respite and if you’re not sure, ask the question of the care home manager or another member of staff. 

At Barchester, by getting to know the person in our care, we help them to feel at ease and feel comfortable in their new home as quickly as possible. We always encourage residents to personalise their bedrooms with their own belongings, to help with the new surroundings.

The right home should offer the expert care that your loved one needs, in a safe environment with a dedicated and well-led team. If you have a care home in mind you can do a little research online to ensure you are satisfied with the level of facilities and activities on offer. Review websites like carehome.co.uk also offer an insight into the home and other people's experiences of it.

It’s important to visit the home in person to meet the team and understand what life in the home is like. Depending on your loved one’s care requirements you could also choose to start with a short respite stay to trial the home before moving in on a more permanent basis.

If you decide that a care home is the best place for your loved one, the next step is to find a home that meets their care needs, and is in a suitable location for you. Our care home managers are always happy to talk to anyone considering care, and answer any questions about life at the home and the care services they provide. Prior to moving into a Barchester home, we will discuss your loved one’s care needs, as well as their well-being needs to ensure we can fully understand how we can support them to live a fulfilled life.

Find your local Barchester care home and find out how the team can help you.