Difference between care home and nursing home?

[Chocolategirl79]

I understand the basic difference - that nursing homes provide nursing care but what does that mean in reality?
My FIL is in hospital - it's been a long haul and we thought he'd be able to live independently with a care package but he's deteriorated badly.
He needs help washing and dressing, is incontinent, and has regular UTIs and can't cook for himself although he can feed himself. He's not terribly mobile (can shuffle with a walking frame). He's diabetic so needs daily injections which he could do himself if reminded. We are slightly concerned about his general confusion re possible dementia.

He also has sores on his legs which need regular dressing. Today the nurses on the ward were saying the district nurse would still need to visit - which to me means his care is mostly social/ personal.

But Soc Services are saying it should be a nursing home - not a care home.
Any ideas why? I will ask but it's all new to me and nursing homes are (I guess) more expensive. He's self funding but doesn't have a lot so trying to keep costs as reasonable as we can.

Nursing homes basically have a RGN on duty 24/7 whereas most care homes will just have carers on site 24/7. My mother had carers at home but it didn't work out, now she is in a nursing home she is safe and has trained medical staff on call 24/7 rather than carers who have a wide variety of training and experience, imho patchy and non existent. I would recommend getting a list from homes in the area that have spaces (from social worker) and have a look round some and see what care they provide and what kind of clients they deal with. Many have specialisms e.g. dementia or end or life care. the problem with going with a care home is that if your FIL deteriorates he will need to be moved to a nursing home which would be extremely disruptive and stressful for him as it would be two moves. if you think he just needs care atm perhaps look into carers staying with him at home and when the occasion arises move to a nursing home. Also with homes don't be impressed with brand new buildings, it is the care (check CQC), atmosphere and staff morale that really count. Good luck at this stressful time.

Yes nursing homes generally a couple of hundred more pounds per week.

If your dad needs district nursing care they do visit care homes.

If your dad was being funded I suspect he would be placed in a care home.

I've worked in both sorts of home and I'd say the only difference it that there is a nurse on staff during the day in nursing homes. Some do have nursing 24/7. It would depend on his needs. If he's in a care home he will get a district nurse or a dr that day if he needs it. Also most care homes will keep him if he deteriorates and not move him. I'd definitely go have a look around and look at the kitchen and meals being offered. Look at the lounge as everyone spends most of there time in there or in there rooms. Ask to see a fue rooms as they usually only show you the best room that they have there.

Sorry I missed the bit about needing daily injections for diabetes that would be why they say a nursing home and the dressing of his legs. It can only be done by a RGN.

A nursing home will have a registered nurse on duty 24hrs a day, 7 days a week. A care home, sometimes known as residential home, won't and is staffed by carers and senior carers. A nursing home will cost a couple of hundred pounds a week more but you can speak to the social worker and apply for funded nursing care which would go towards nursing home fees, it's payable to the home. Has your dad had a care needs assessment and why do social services say it should be a nursing home.

Get them to do a CHC checklist as the CCG will pay the extra for the nursing rate (155.05 PW) even if he's self funding. The assessment will also give you the necessary guidance as to whether he requires nursing care or whether his health needs can be met by the district nursing team.

We paid £200 a week top up fees for my Dads nursing home - he was CHC funded too.

His needs could be met in a care home with district nurses coming in but in his case the good thing about a nursing home is that if he deteriorates he can stay.

Care homes often ring an abulance if needs increase then refuse to have em discharged back to them

*sorry will pay if he meets criteria

It will depend on a number of things, how willing district nurse teams are to go into residential homes in your area, how ongoing are his leg sores, are they healing, how capable is he to do his own injections given you noted possible dementia, how often are UTIs and do they have a knock on to his confusion, mobility, ability to do his own injections. If his leg sores aren't healing is this made more complex with his diabetes? All these things I've mentioned are health needs which may need careful monitoring by a health professional thus social services indicating nursing care.

Thank you all.

He's had leg sores for 10+ years - they need regular dressing and after his first stint in hospital (November) they got so bad that he ended up having toes amputated! His diabetes didn't help although is under control now he's being looked after in hospital.

His legs seem to be healing well now and he can shuffle about but they will probably need constant treatment.

He's being moved to an assessment bed shortly for CHC assessment. How long will that take?should I be investigating options now? Or wait?

When my Dad was assessed he was in hospital and it was fast tracked... they gave me a list of homes that had beds available and what the top up fees were.

A chc assessment is to determine his care needs so that he is living in the right kind of home, you can Google it, it then comes out either positive or negative which affects any funding he may get. If all the supporting paperwork is available when the assessor comes then that does speed the process up. Once it's decided what care he needs you have a better idea of what type of home to look at but I would start looking anyway, look them up on the c.q.c. site and arrange to go and visit them, have a good look around and if you like somewhere tell the manager your dad is waiting for his assessments and funding decision, the home will want to visit him in hospital to make sure they can meet his needs and will also need to know that funding is in place.