It will probably come as no surprise that there is no one-size-fits-all cost for a care home in the UK. Costs will vary depending on where you live, the type of care you require, your financial situation, and the care home you choose. However, having an idea of how much you are expected to pay when considering the right care for your loved one is a very important factor to consider. In our experience, the monthly average cost of residential care in the UK is around £3,000, while nursing care and other specialist care typically sits around the £3,500 mark.
Average weekly costs at the Future Care Group start from:
- Residential care – £1,250
- Nursing care – £1,350
- Dementia care – £1,300
- Short-term respite care – £1,450
As we mentioned in our opening paragraph, it is important to note that we are a consortium of care homes with locations based across the South East of England. Each care home boasts a unique cost structure to reflect the type of care offered, location, and other influencing factors. Therefore, costs will vary. However, these average costs will provide you with a good starting point for budgeting purposes.
What is included in care home fees?
In addition to the location in the UK where you live (which can impact costs dramatically), care home costs will be largely dependent on what care services you receive and the level of care your situation requires. For example, a resident living with dementia will have specialist care needs and will require a higher level of support than someone without dementia.
Residents live in care homes 24 hours a day. Therefore, in addition to their care costs, care home fees will also include accommodation, laundry, meals, heating and other utility costs, cleaning, maintenance, and arranged activities and excursions. Other factors, such as whether the room comes with an en-suite bathroom may also come into play. For example, all rooms in the Future Care Group care homes are individually priced depending on their size, location within the home, and amenities.
Why is the cost of nursing care greater than residential care?
Residents receiving nursing care in a care home will receive higher levels of care. Nursing homes (or residential homes offering nursing care) are generally for people who are particularly frail or have physical or mental health conditions that require day-to-day medical attention. Residents generally receive the same kind of care they would in a residential care home, such as support with everyday tasks like dressing and eating and, on top of this, they will receive nursing care to meet their bespoke medical/advanced needs.
For example, a resident receiving nursing care as part of their care plan will always have a qualified, registered nurse on-site to provide medical care, whereas a residential home will not. Registered nurses are responsible for creating and monitoring care plans and providing some treatments. They can also carry out medical interventions such as administering injections or intravenous medications, treating wounds such as bedsores, or managing recovery after an operation. What about dementia care? Again, caring for residents living with dementia requires a greater level of specialist nursing care, which will impact care fees.
Who pays for care home costs?
If you are looking into a care home for yourself or a loved one, cost will play a big part in your decision and you may be wondering who will have to pay for the care you need? The simple answer to this is that it will depend on how much money you have and the value of your assets. Your local council may help you with some or all of the cost depending on your savings and the assets you own, but if you have capital over a certain amount, the government will expect you to pay for the care yourself.
You can find out if you are eligible for help with the cost of your care by applying to your local council. They will first investigate what care you need (needs assessment) and if you should move into a care home. If they agree that a care home is the right option for you, they will carry out a means assessment where they will look into your finances to determine if they should help you with the costs, and by how much. Whether you get support and how much you receive will largely depend on where you live in the UK and how much capital you have. Find out more about who pays for care home costs here.
What types of care are available at the Future Care Group?
We offer a full spectrum of care at the Future Care Group from respite and residential to nursing and dementia care. We are a leading provider of dementia care in South East England with Dementia Champions appointed at each home to lead our Dementia Strategy.
We recognise the unique care needs presented by each of our residents and offer tailored support for them and their family. Putting a price on quality, genuine care is the least favourite part of our job, but is, nonetheless, a necessary one. When it comes to price versus value, we’ll let our residents and families do the talking – visit our online reviews for reassurance that we provide first-rate care that you can completely trust.
