Care Home or Nursing Home?

What is the difference between a Residential Care Home and a Nursing Home?

Understanding the Key Differences Made Simple

If you or a loved one need extra help with day-to-day living, you might be wondering what the difference is between a residential care home and a nursing home. Below I will lay out the basic differnces;

What is a Residential Care Home?

A residential care home is a place where people live who need help with everyday tasks like washing, dressing, eating, and getting around. Trained staff are on hand 24 hours a day to provide support, but there’s no medical nurse on duty all the time. It’s a bit like living in a hotel with carers instead of waiters.  Some Residential Care Homes, like Oak Mount, are dementia registered, but even within that category there are different levels, for example at Oak Mount we take residents who tend to be lower level, Ie mildly confused.

What is a Nursing Home?

A nursing home is similar to a residential care home, but with a big difference: it always has a qualified nurse on duty. This means residents can get medical care as well as help with daily activities. Nursing homes are best for people with medical conditions that need regular attention, like serious illnesses, or if someone needs a lot of help moving about.  Again, these can be either dementia registered, or not

Main Differences at a Glance

• Staff: Care homes have carers; nursing homes have carers and nurses.
• Care Level: Care homes help with daily living; nursing homes can provide medical care and manage health conditions.
• Cost: Nursing homes are usually more expensive because of the nursing care provided.
• Who For? Care homes are for people who need support with daily life; nursing homes are for people who also need regular medical care.

In Short

If your loved one needs help with daily tasks but not medical care, a residential care home is likely enough. If your loved one needs regular nursing or medical attention, a nursing home is probably the better choice.  From both a cost and a day-to-day wellbeing perspective, if a residential care home can meet your needs, then generally speaking, this would be better for your loved one, as there are likely to be other residents who they can socialise with.

Always check with your Local Authority (In Southampton, this is usually SCC) or a Social Worker to find the best fit for your loved ones needs, although feel free to call us, and we can give you a good idea over the phone whether we can meet their needs or not.  All care homes and nursing homes are legally required to carry out a full needs assessment before admitting anyone, after all we do not want to move someone in that we cannot look after.