Something for everyone in UK’s care homes: caviar, mindfulness or a pint down the pub
Dining on caviar or sipping on a pint in the pub are just some of the things residents get up to in Britain’s care homes, which range from high end homes with chauffeurs and gyms to ones that focus on spirituality where residents practise mindfulness.
There are care homes for Jewish, Muslim and Christian communities and even a care home run by Polish-speaking nuns. Those wanting to be with like-minded professionals can move into a care home for actors, nurses, the military and even farmers. While vegans and vegetarians can choose a care home that caters to their needs.
Nearly half a million people live in care homes in the UK and with the country emerging from the pandemic, carehome.co.uk, the leading reviews site for care homes has seen record levels of people searching for care.
In March, it saw 1,613,251 people visit its site. This is a 33 per cent rise on December 2020 when the UK had entered the second wave of the pandemic, when traffic to the site was 1,206,323. In March last year, just as the UK was entering lockdown, traffic to the site was 1,381,361, 17 per cent lower than March this year.
Will Blackwell, chief executive of carehome.co.uk said: “We are delighted to see this rise in traffic to carehome.co.uk as it shows trust has returned to care homes after what has been a hugely challenging time.
“People are again seeing residential care as the right place for their loved ones, where they will receive care that is tailored to their needs and take part in stimulating activities in a compassionate environment.”
He added: “There are nearly 18,000 care homes in the UK and we now have over 200,000 reviews of care homes on carehome.co.uk so people can use the opinions of the residents themselves and their families to find the home that is right for them.”
Looking for a care home can be emotionally exhausting in itself, let alone wondering how it is going to be financed.
The cost of a care home is very much dependent upon where you live, with care homes in London and the south east of England tending to be the most expensive. Nursing care is more expensive than just residential care and care homes providing specialist care such as dementia care, will normally charge more.
The average weekly cost of living in a residential care home is £704, while the average weekly cost of a nursing home is £888 across the UK.
This video gives a brief overview of when you can get financial help from your local authority and in what situations you must cover your care home fees yourself.
carehome.co.uk has an advice section, where you can find helpful information on a whole host of topics including care home fees, types of care homes, legal advice, how to prepare for moving into a care home and what life is like in a care home.
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