Care advice for families, by topic
309 articles for families arranging care for an older relative in the UK, grouped by subject. Each one is checked against official sources such as GOV.UK, the NHS and the Care Quality Commission.
Choosing a care home
How to shortlist, visit and compare care homes, and the questions that tell you most about a home before you commit.
- Care homes with en-suite rooms: what to expect
- Mental health care homes: how do they differ in the UK?
- Care homes for people with learning disabilities
- Care homes for younger adults with physical disabilities
All 24 articles on choosing a care home
Types of care
Residential, nursing, dementia, respite and specialist care: what each one means, who it suits and how to tell which your relative needs.
- Step-down care after hospital: what it is and who pays
- Convalescent care after an operation: how it works
- Supported living for adults with disabilities: how it works
- Assisted living in the UK: what it is and how it works
All 19 articles on types of care
Care home costs
What care homes charge, why fees vary so much between homes and areas, and the extra costs worth asking about before you sign.
- Care home fees in Wales: the capital limit and weekly cap
- Care home fees in Scotland: how free personal care works
- Home care hourly rates in the UK: what you will pay
- Live-in care costs compared with a care home
All 16 articles on care home costs
Paying for care
Council funding, the means test, self-funding, deferred payments and top-ups: how care is paid for and what help is available.
- Council funding for respite care: who pays and how
- How to challenge a council's care funding decision
- What happens when self-funding care money runs out?
- Deferred payment agreement interest and fees explained
All 29 articles on paying for care
NHS funding and health services
NHS Continuing Healthcare, funded nursing care and the NHS services people in care homes are entitled to, with how to apply and appeal.
- What NHS services can care home residents still get?
- How to get a GP involved in your parent's care decisions
- Primary health need: what it means for NHS funding
- Does dementia qualify for NHS Continuing Healthcare?
All 14 articles on nhs funding and health services
Inspections and quality
How the CQC and the Care Inspectorate inspect and rate care homes, how to read a report, and the signs of good and poor care.
- Medication errors in care homes: what to ask
- No registered manager at a care home: should you worry?
- Care home awards and accreditations: what they mean
- Online care home reviews: how much can you trust them?
All 26 articles on inspections and quality
Dementia
Dementia care at home and in care homes: choosing specialist care, what to expect as needs change, and support for the family.
- Mental capacity assessments when a parent has dementia
- Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards in dementia care
- Dementia-friendly care home design: what to look for
- Music and dementia: why it helps and how to use it
Health in later life
Common health needs in later life and how they are managed in a care home: falls, medication, nutrition, continence and more.
- Foot care for older people: nails, skin and who can help
- Oral health in care homes: what families should expect
- Polypharmacy: when an older parent takes too many medicines
- Frailty in older people: what it means and how it's measured
All 20 articles on health in later life
Life in a care home
What daily life in a care home is like: moving in, settling, visiting, activities, food, and keeping family relationships strong.
- Who looks after a care home resident's personal money?
- Can someone in a care home go on holiday or trips?
- Moving from one care home to another: how to do it well
- Care home residents' meetings and family forums
All 22 articles on life in a care home
Rights, contracts and complaints
Contracts, fees rules, safeguarding and complaints: the rights residents and families have, and what to do when something goes wrong.
- Covert medication in care homes: when it is allowed
- Whistleblowing in care homes: what families should know
- Advocacy services for people in care: who can get one
- Human rights in care homes: what the law protects
All 16 articles on rights, contracts and complaints
Legal planning
Lasting powers of attorney, deputyship, mental capacity, wills and advance decisions: the legal planning that makes care decisions easier.
- Guardianship in Scotland for adults with incapacity
- How to register a death that happens in a care home
- Probate when the person was in a care home: what changes
- Wills and care home fees: common misunderstandings
All 21 articles on legal planning
Money, benefits and tax
Attendance Allowance, Pension Credit, Carer’s Allowance, tax and the family home: the money questions that come with arranging care.
- Is there tax relief on care costs in the UK?
- Renting out a house to pay for care: costs, tax and tenants
- Selling a parent's house to pay for care: practical steps
- Can equity release pay for care home fees?
All 31 articles on money, benefits and tax
Family carers
Support for the people doing the caring: carer’s assessments, breaks, benefits, work, and looking after your own health.
- Looking after yourself after a parent moves into care
- Emergency plans for carers: what to write down
- Carers' breaks and replacement care: how to get one
- Support groups for family carers: how to find one
All 14 articles on family carers
Home care and live-in care
Home care, live-in care and the alternatives to a care home: what they cost, how to arrange them and when a move becomes right.
- Hiring a personal assistant with direct payments
- Meals on wheels and meal delivery for older people
- Telecare and personal alarms: how they work and cost
- Home adaptations for older people: what helps, who pays
All 18 articles on home care and live-in care
End of life
Planning for the end of life: palliative care in a care home, advance care plans, hospice support, and what families can expect.
- Clearing a care home room after a death: what to know
- Bereavement support for families in the UK
- What to do when someone dies in a care home
- How to support family at a relative's bedside
All 11 articles on end of life
Leaving hospital
Leaving hospital when more care is needed: discharge to assess, reablement, intermediate care and choosing a home at short notice.
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