With the ageing population, the number of people entering residential homes is increasing. When looking at moving yourself or a loved one into a residential home the terms ‘care homes’ and ‘nursing homes’ are often used interchangeably, but there is actually a difference between the two phrases.
In this article we will explain what the difference is between what a care home is and what a nursing home is.
What is a care home?
The phrase ‘care home’ can be used as an umbrella term to talk about residential homes; meaning that often it will be used when nursing homes are being discussed.
A care home is a residential home. Care homes, or residential homes, are simply homes for those who do not need 24-hour nursing care but do need help with daily living. Care given in a care home often includes tasks such as helping the resident with getting dressed, and washing or even helping with eating. The care given to the individual will depend on their needs, so no care home will provide a blanket care plan to their residents, instead they will offer bespoke care plans that suit the requirements of the resident.
It is common for care homes to arrange social activities and events for the residents, and they will encourage residents to take up new hobbies, or where possible keep up with old ones.
Why choose a residential home?
If you or a loved one are struggling to cope with day to day tasks but aren’t needing too much medical care, then a care home could be a great solution.
Not only will the resident get help with day to day tasks that they struggle with, they will be in a home with other people, meaning they are able to socialise easily and reduce the chance of feeling isolated. Furthermore, as mentioned above, residential care homes often set up weekly activities and host events, meaning they don’t have to stress about finding things to do each day, as they are already arranged.
For a loved one of someone who needs a little more support, a care home can bring a peace of mind that their relative is able to maintain their independence as much as possible while getting the assistance they need.
What is a nursing home?
The only difference between a nursing home and a residential care home is that a nursing home can provide medical care to residents alongside standard care activities.
At the very least, a nursing home will have one qualified and registered nurse on site, and a skilled nursing support team at all times, allowing access to medical care 24 hours a day.
Often nursing homes will offer specialist care for certain conditions. At our nursing home in Worthing we are able to deliver specialist care for a variety of health conditions such as Parkinson’s, Motor Neurone Disease and Multiple Sclerosis. The staff are also trained to notice any changes in behaviour or personality of the residents as these can often signify a change in their condition.
Like in care homes, as the residents’ needs will be individual to them and their health condition, the nursing home will create a bespoke care plan for each resident, meaning they get the specific care they need.
If the nursing care facility provides specialist care then the nursing staff will be trained to care for residents with that specific condition, and the home will be equipped to deal with any difficulties residents might face due to their medical issues.
Nursing care doesn’t have to be long term care, they will often offer respite nursing care for those who have a carer that may need a break, as well as palliative care for those diagnosed with a terminal illness.
Country Lodge Nursing Home is able to provide both respite nursing care and palliative care. At our nursing home in Worthing, we also offer after stroke care. This can be short term care for those who need further rehabilitation and a little bit of help to overcome the effects of a stroke before going home, or longer term care for those who need a higher level of care due to the consequences of their stroke.
Why choose Country Lodge as your Nursing Home?
A nursing home should be chosen when you or your loved one struggles significantly with daily tasks and/or has a need for regular medical assistance.
Choosing a nursing home over staying at home with a home carer or live in carer means that there will always be someone on hand to deal with any medical emergency, giving your loved ones confidence that you get the care you need, when you need it.
Country Lodge has a team of passionate staff who have specialist knowledge to be able to provide care for a range of conditions such as Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, Motor Neurone Disease, and after stroke effects. Our values guarantee high quality care is given to each of our residents.
Our nursing home in Worthing has been designed to feel like a home from home, and our staff go above and beyond to ensure the care our residents receive extends this, and we provide healthy home cooked meals each day to truly make our nursing home feel like their home.
We also work hard to arrange events and activities for our residents, so that they don’t sit alone getting bored. We love to arrange seasonal activities; you can read what we got up to last summer here.
If you are looking for a nursing home in Worthing, get in touch with us to find out how we might be able to help you. We believe that the best way to get a feel for our nursing home is to come and visit us. We love showing potential residents our home, so call 01903 919710, or email us at manager@countrylodgenursing.co.uk.
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