First of all you need to decide what type of care and care home you are looking for.

A residential home is designed for those people who find it difficult to care for themselves at home but are still looking to maintain some independence. The emphasis of this type of home is to provide 24 hour around the clock care from trained carers.

If you or the person concerned has a medical condition then you may be looking for a nursing home. A nursing care home provides 24 hour specialist nursing care.

This is the type of home you need if you were looking for respite care, post–operative care and/or palliative care.

Some homes are registered to provide both residential and nursing care. They are called dual homes.

It is important to check what each home is registered for to make sure it can meet your care needs.

Alternatively you may be looking for a different type of care which allows people to continue to live in an independent manner in the community. This type of care is called Supported Living. Our sister company Active Care Partnerships provides this type of care. It can be appropriate for individuals with physical or learning difficulties.