Residential and Nursing Home Care

What are residential and nursing homes and what’s the difference?
We offer a wide range of support for adults, including those with disabilities, mental health problems and older people. Sometimes people need more care than they can receive in their own homes and move into a residential or nursing home. Or they need a short stay away from their own homes, to give them and their carers a break. Sometimes, these short stays can also be taken in residential or nursing homes. To find out more about short stays (respite care), click here.

All homes provide accommodation, meals, care and support from staff, which is available 24 hours a day. You can also see a GP in either type of home. Residential homes have care staff on duty and residents have access to the District Nursing Service. Nursing homes provide extra care, by having qualified nursing staff on duty 24 hours a day.

We run a series of residential homes and there are also many privately run homes throughout the city. We have contracts with privately run homes so we can find people places in these homes, as well as ones run by us.  

Who can we help?
To be able to use one of our homes, you need to be over 18, live in Stoke-on-Trent and have had an assessment carried out by us. To find out more about assessments, see the paragraph below.

The assessment would have to show that you need more support than we could offer you in your own home. This is because, wherever possible, we prefer to help people keep their independence by supporting them to stay living at home.

We also have guidelines to help us decide who can use our services, because we can’t always help everyone. The Government set these guidelines to make sure that everyone in the country has the same chance of getting help. To read more about these guidelines, click here.

What is an assessment?
In most cases, a social worker or an assessor will visit you, to talk to you about what you need. After they have talked to you and anyone else who is involved, like your GP or District Nurse (with your permission) about your situation, we will be able to decide what support or care we can offer. Sometimes an assessment can be carried out over the phone.

The assessment may show that you would be better receiving other services, rather than being cared for in a residential or nursing home. If this is the case, then we will discuss other types of care and support with you.

How do you ask for an assessment?
Often, another professional would refer you to us, like a social worker, occupational therapist, district nurse or your GP.

However, you can also contact us yourself, by ringing 01782-234050 or 01782-234235 where you can speak to a Contact Centre Advisor. 

What happens when you contact us?
We will ask you some questions to get some basic information, like your name, address and age. This information will be passed onto one of our duty officers who will contact you within 48 hours to find out more about what help you need.

After this, the duty officer will pass the information onto a social worker or assessor who is specially trained to help someone in your situation. They will need to carry out the assessment within 28 days. This usually means they will come and visit you at home and talk to you more about what help you need. After that, we try to set up the support you need within 28 days.

Is there a charge?
There is no charge for the assessments described above but if it’s decided that you will be moving into a residential or nursing home, you will then need to contribute towards the cost of living there.

Until April 2006, if you have property and/or savings which are altogether worth more than £20,500, you will need to pay the full cost of your care. This can vary from £263 per week to £689 per week, depending on what sort of care you need and which home it is. We have a factsheet for people paying for the full cost of their care, which gives them more information- click here to see it. 

If you do not have property and/or savings which are altogether worth more than £20,500, you may be able to get financial help from us. We have a booklet which will tell you more about this - click here to see it.

Choosing a home
For a full list of residential and nursing homes in Staffordshire, including those run by us and those run privately, you can look at our ‘Staffordshire Care Homes Guide, 2nd edition’- click here to see it (go to the 'directory' to search for homes.) You can also ask for a copy of the guide to be posted to you, by phoning 01782 235933 or email: public.information@stoke.gov.uk

The guide also includes residential homes for younger adults with disabilities, including learning disabilities as well as older people.