Nursing or Residential Homes. What's the difference?
It is quite common for people to not know the specific difference between these types of home. In fact there is a common tendency to refer to Care Homes as Nursing Homes - even if they don't provide Nursing Care

Residential homes provide both board and personal care for those in need of personal care by reason of old age, disablement, past or present dependence on alcohol or drugs, or past or present mental disorder.

Nursing homes provide nursing for persons suffering from any sickness, injury or infirmity. In addition nursing homes may also provide a range of other specialist services such as surgery, treatment by endoscopy, laser, and haemodialysis.

Nursing homes must be run by people with medical or nursing qualifications, residential care homes need not

Depending on the type of care you need you will want to find a home suitable!

What is meant by?

Qualified staff
Anyone involved in the provision of care is required to meet national standards for qualifications to be held by members of staff.

This applies to domiciliary care (care provided in the home of the person) as well as Care Homes in general.

Standards for Care
Care Standards Inspectorate in Wales – SCIE England inspects the services provided by the State and by Independent providers.  As well as standards of building, facilities, cleanliness, staffing levels etc., they will speak with individuals receiving care and the key people in their lives, to determine whether the provision meets the National Standards. 

Dementia
Deterioration of intellectual faculties, such as memory, concentration, and judgment, resulting from an organic disease or a disorder of the brain. It is sometimes accompanied by emotional disturbance and personality changes.

Can refer to two conditions. They differ in degree and the age at which the severe symptoms begin

Senile Dementia is closely connected to the normal process of growing old.

Pre-senile Dementia is the term used when people show these symptoms when under 60 years of age.  This is also known as Alzheimer’s disease.

EMI

Elderly Mentally Infirm.   A state in which the sufferer is unable to make sense of the situation in which they find themselves and therefore is lost and muddled.  Sometimes but not in all cases, confusion may be associated with loss of memory.  It can be caused by physical or mental illness.

Palliative Care

Palliative care is any form of medical care or treatment that concentrates on reducing the severity of the symptoms of a disease or slows its progress rather than providing a cure. It aims at improving quality of life, and particularly at reducing or eliminating pain.

Terminally Ill

Where the individual has a progressive illness and not expected to live more than 6 months.  Care for the terminally ill can be available in Hospitals, certain Care Homes and Hospices.

Respite

Respite care is temporary relief. It can be provided for an older person or for an older person’s carer.

Domiciliary Care

Where the individual can be provided with care support whilst continuing to live at home.  This type of care provision is not age related, but dependant upon the level of dependency assessed by their Social Services Department.

Individuals who are able now to receive ‘direct payments’ made to them sothey can select and pay for their care themselves.

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