When you are paying for your care (self-funding), the average weekly fee for a residential care home is £1,232, compared to £1,470 for a nursing home. Across a whole year, you’ll pay around £64,000 for residential care and £76,000 for nursing care.

Depending on your total assets and care needs, you may qualify for assistance to help with care home fees via local council funding or the NHS.

How Much Do Residential Care Homes Cost in the UK Cost?

Care home costs vary, depending on the type of care provided. For example, a residential care home offering support with day-to-day activities like washing and dressing will cost less than a nursing home that provides 24/7 support for all residents from specially trained nursing staff.

Residential Care

Residential care costs typically cover a basic standard of care, including help with daily tasks like washing and dressing and assisting residents with medication.

Nursing Care

Nursing care homes are more expensive, as they provide round-the-clock care for residents who may have complex health conditions. These care homes also provide personal care – but there will always be at least one qualified nurse on duty.

Dementia Care

Care homes that provide specialist care, such as dementia care homes, usually charge higher fees than residential and nursing homes.

Respite Care

Respite care homes offer short periods of care for someone whose carer is on holiday or cannot care for them due to an emergency.

If you’re looking for temporary support, the best way to calculate the cost of care is via a financial assessment.

What is Included In Care Home Fees?

Care home fees cover several things, mainly if you’re living permanently in a care home:

• The care you require. This could be personal care (such as assistance with getting dressed and undressed, washing, eating and getting around) or a specialist form of care such as nursing care or dementia care
• Meals throughout the day
• Accommodation (your bedroom)
• Housekeeping (such as laundry)
• Utility costs (such as gas and electricity)
• The use of on-site facilities
• A range of social activities and events

When visiting a home, it’s essential to ask about any hidden fees. Some homes don’t include extras like physiotherapy appointments, transportation, contents insurance, and Wi-Fi in their essential cost.

Who Pays for Care Home Fees?

When it comes to paying for care, you have several different options:

Self-funded care

If you have enough savings, you will be classed as a self-funder. When self-funding, you’ll be expected to fund your care fully from your financial resources.

You can either arrange and pay for care yourself, without involving your local council, or ask your local council to arrange and pay for your care. They’ll then bill you or your loved one the cost. However, not all councils offer this service; some may charge a fee.

Local authority funding

Your local authorities may be able to provide financial support with your care home fees.

To be eligible for local authority funding, the following assessments will need to be taken by the care seeker:

• Care needs assessment – This will determine your care needs and the required support level, such as from a care home. Every care seeker has the right to a free care needs assessment, and you can apply for a care needs assessment here. If you qualify for care funding, it’s the local authority’s legal duty to provide the appropriate care services.
• Financial assessment—A local authority will then carry out a financial assessment to determine whether you can pay for care yourself or if care home funding is needed.

If you’re eligible for funding support, your local council will let you know how much they’ll contribute to the cost of care. This amount must be enough to pay the fees for at least one suitable care home. They’ll also arrange this suitable residential or nursing home to meet your or your loved one’s care needs.

NHS-funded care

There are two main types of NHS funding within care homes. You can only receive one of these:

1. NHS Continuing Healthcare

If you’ve been assessed as having a ‘primary health need’, NHS Continuing Healthcare provides a care package arranged and funded by the NHS. This package covers the total cost of care and accommodation.

NHS Continuing Healthcare funding is available to adults in England who have intense, complex, and unpredictable care needs.

To determine if you’re eligible for NHS-funded care, you must complete an assessment by a team of healthcare professionals, which can be complex.

2. NHS-funded nursing care

The NHS provides NHS-funded nursing care to cover the nursing or medical costs for those living in care homes or nursing homes. A registered nurse administers this care.

You or your loved one may be eligible if:

• You’re in a care home which is registered to provide nursing care.
• You don’t qualify for NHS Continuing Healthcare.
• You’ve been assessed as needing a registered nurse to support your care needs properly.