Thinking about long term care for the person you care for can be very bewildering and confusing. It can also be a very lonely task, difficult to share with others. Here we look at some of the practical and emotional aspects of planning for long term care.

Choosing a care home

There are a number of directories that you can access online to search for care homes in Edinburgh and other areas. The Care Inspectorate is a good starting point as you can also view the most up to date inspection report for the care home you are interested in.

Visit the Care Inspectorate website or call 0345 600 9527. City of Edinburgh Council also have a directory of care homes in Edinburgh – visit the City of Edinburgh Council website.

You can arrange a visit to a care home or ask for someone from the home to visit you. Write down the things you and the person you care for want to ask and bring the list with you on visits.
A care home should be homely, safe and secure to enable people to carry on leading as full a life as possible. Don’t be embarrassed to ask lots of questions, and have a good look around.

See our Long term care factsheet below for more information.

Paying for care

If someone is assessed as needing to live in a care home, then their finances have to be assessed – taking into account the capital and income of the person moving into the care home. There are upper and lower limits which define how much someone needs to pay. If someone has over the upper limit they will be asked to pay the full cost of care.

Some types of income are disregarded or partially disregarded however pensions and state benefits are assumed capital from income. Care home residents can get 50% of their private pension paid to a spouse who continues to live at home. If the person you care for is assessed as needing personal and/ or nursing care, then they will get the costs for both deducted from the care home fees.

Download our Long Term Care factsheet below for more information and useful contacts.