Posted on 24th April 2012
Finding a care home has never been this easy
People searching for a care home in Nottinghamshire are set to benefit from a new interactive website which tells them how many beds are available at any one time.
The County Council’s Cabinet will be presented with a report next week about a new online directory: www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/findacarehome, which is being set up in conjunction with Capita IB Solutions. If the report is approved, the directory will be up and running in the next month.
People using the directory will be able to type in their postcode to find out information about all residential and nursing care homes in their area including the numbers of beds currently available, contact details and the County Council’s quality rating*. The directory will also include a link to each care home’s own website.
The web pages will include advice about what to look for when choosing a home, as well as information about other services, such as home care or monitors/sensors in people’s homes, which could prevent someone from needing to go into a care home at all.
There is also information about how to plan for care fees. Every year 150 extra people need financial support from Nottinghamshire County Council when their savings dwindle after paying for long term care. Specialist care fees advice can help people preserve their savings and assets and help them stay in the care home of their choice for as long as they need care.
Councillor Kevin Rostance, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health, said: “The new directory will make it much easier for anyone who is thinking about going into a care home by offering real time information about the beds available in every home in the county.
“They can also find out more about other services which may help them to remain independent in their own homes for longer, such as home care or our assistive technology service, where people can have monitors and sensors which help to keep them safe.
“The website will also signpost them to vital information and advice about how to plan for their care fees. Anyone with savings and assets over £23,250 has to fund their own care, so this advice will help them to preserve their savings for longer.”
People without internet access can phone the County Council on 08449 80 80 80 for more information.
Calls will cost 4 pence per minute, plus your phone company’s access charge
Note to Editor
*The County Council gives a quality rating to every care home in Nottinghamshire with 1 = poor and 4 = excellent. This sets the level at which the County Council pays the home for each person who it funds to live there. Auditors ask a series of questions including whether they are offered at least two choices of main meal, is the home environment clean, pleasant and free from odour, etc.
Ends
For more information contact Julie Cuthbert, Nottinghamshire County Council, on 0115 977 3195 or julie.cuthbert@nottscc.gov.uk
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