When a person’s care needs are such that it is no longer safe for them to continue living in their own home, even with support services, admission to a care home may be required.
A care home placement can only be considered following an assessment of need (Single Shared Assessment) which can identify whether a person requires 24 hour care in a care home. The majority of care home provision is for older people and is either residential or nursing home care, dependent on the care needs of the person.
East Ayrshire Council has no direct care home provision for older people. However there are 22 private care homes within East Ayrshire. All care homes are registered with the Care Commission and are inspected and graded on a regular basis. Inspection reports and gradings for each care home are available at the Care Commission website or within the individual care homes.
People have the right to choose which care home in which to live and a person assessed as requiring a care home placement can choose a care home outside the Council area if they wish. If a person is moving from a hospital to a care home, they must move from hospital within six weeks of the date they are assessed as being ready for discharge. For some people this will mean having to move to an interim care home placement to wait for a vacancy in the care home of their choice.
All individuals in care homes have to contribute towards their care costs. This is called a client contribution and the amount payable is determined by financial assessment and is dependent on a person’s level of income, savings and capital assets. Your care manager can provide you with more detailed information during the assessment process.
If you think you, or a relative or person you care for may require a care home placement, please contact your local Social Work office using the details provided in the contact information section.