Care homes & continuing health care

Most of us would prefer to stay in our own homes, in familiar surroundings and with our possessions and friends and family around us. If you are starting to think that you might need to move to a care home you might be surprised at the things you can do to support yourself in your own home; have a look at the rest of this site, and in particular at the section staying in your own home, and the pages on extra care housing and supported and sheltered housing, before you make a final decision.

However some medical conditions which require regular medical treatment, or mean that you regularly need support with day-to-day tasks, can make living at home very difficult. You may feel that you need more care than you are able to get at home, either from healthcare professionals or your family, or by using gadgets and equipment to keep you safe and independent. In this situation you may wish to consider moving into a care home in order to receive the support which you need.

This section of the site provides information on the different types of care home available and suggestions on how you can find the best care home for you, and also suggests alternatives to a care home that might enable you to continue living independently if you want to.

Click on the topics on the right for more information.