Everything You Need to Change Your Care Home

People choose to move care homes for a variety of reasons. Your care needs may have increased, the home can no longer accommodate your requirements, it’s no longer affordable, or perhaps it just doesn’t feel like the right fit.

To ease the transition, we’ve outlined the steps you need to take to change your care home below, including checking your current contract, finding a new home and arranging the move.

In this article:

1. How do you move from one care home to another?
   1. Check your current contract
   2. Requesting a needs assessment
   3. Finding a new care home
   4. Arrange a visit and make a decision
   5. Choose when to move in
2. Why do people change care homes?
   5. The care home doesn’t feel like the right fit
   6. Your care needs have increased
   7. Your current care home is no longer affordable
   8. Other circumstances

How Do You Move From One Care Home To Another?

When you move care homes, you’ll repeat the same process as you did the first time. However, there will be some additional steps, such as checking your current contract and liaising with both the current and new home. The type of care you’re looking for may have also changed. We’ve listed the main steps below.

1. Check your current contract

If you’re a self-funder (so you pay for your own care), you’ll want to read through the contract you’ve signed with your current home before making any decisions.

There may be a notice period and other terms and conditions relating to the cancellation process. Some homes have an exit penalty which has to be paid when ending the contract early. Members of staff will be on hand to discuss any details you’re unsure about.

If your care is fully or partially funded by your local council, the contract will instead be between the care home and social services. In this case, you’ll need to contact your local council to learn the next steps.

2. Requesting a needs assessment

If you or your loved one’s care needs have increased, social services can re-assess you through a care needs assessment. This assessment will determine what care is now required.

After this assessment, your or your loved one’s needs will be mapped out in a care plan. Depending on their circumstances, this might also uncover additional funding support available to them, such as NHS continuing healthcare or NHS-funded nursing care.

A care needs assessment isn’t essential though, and you may already know what type of care is now required. For example, you may have previously been in a residential care home but would now benefit from nursing care due to heightened medical needs.

3. Finding a new care home

Next, it’s time to begin looking for your new home. Think about why you’re moving from your current home. People often move because:

• Their current care home is no longer able to meet their care needs
• They want a different or broader range of facilities and activities available to them
• They want to live with their loved one in care
• They want their pet to be able to move in with them
• They want to move to a new home in a different area
• They now require a more affordable home

When looking for a new care home, you should consider location, the type of care required, your budget, the facilities and activities available, and anything else related to what we’ve listed above.

To make this process easier, we have a guide explaining the process of choosing a care home. You can also speak with our care experts, who will provide you with compassionate and knowledgeable support while guiding you through each stage of the care-seeking process.

You can also use Lottie to find a care home near you. Our directory is free to use and lists the best care homes throughout the UK, with each listing detailing the types of care available, facilities and activities offered, and other essential information. For further support, request a free list of care homes from our care experts. They’ll then send you suitable options with bed availability matching your or your loved one’s specific needs and requirements.

Our 2024 Care Seeker Survey found that the five most important considerations when choosing a care home are:

1. Good management and staff - 64% of people said this was important
2. Care home ratings, such as from a regulator like the CQC - 56% of people said this was important
3. The different care services available - 53% of people said this was important
4. Reviews from people who have previously stayed in homes and their loved ones - 49% of people said this was important
5. Overall reputation - 47% of people said this was important

4. Arrange a visit and make a decision

You should then begin contacting suitable care homes to arrange visits. When on a visit, be sure to find out as much information as possible, including:

• Is there a waiting list for places? (If you aren’t in a rush to move, it’s always worth joining these waiting lists if you’re particularly keen on a certain home or are still looking at other options)
• What qualifications and training do the carers have, and what will be the ratio of carers to residents?
• What are the bedrooms and communal facilities like?
• What social activities and events are on offer? Do they have a dedicated activities and/or lifestyle team to offer these activities and events?
• Is the home accessible for people with limited mobility?
• Can friends and family visit whenever they like?
• Is the food menu nutritious and varied, and can this food be catered to specific dietary requirements?

If you’re helping your loved one choose a care home, it’s important you discuss the homes you’ve visited and their preferences.

We’d recommend you visit a home to form an initial opinion about it, before organising a second visit if you or your loved one liked it the first time around.

Which home you pick will depend on factors such as availability, personal preference and whether all the boxes have been ticked.

5. Choose when to move in

Finally, you need to decide when to move in. You’ll need to consider when the room in your new home is ready, and if your current home has a notice period that needs to be served (much like when moving between two rented accommodations).

If you’re paying for your own care, you’ll likely have to make your own arrangements, such as transporting your possessions from your current home to your new home. If your local authority is paying some or all of your fees, this is something they may be able to support with.

Your current or new home may also be able to assist you with the move. Speak with staff members to find out if this is the case. Carers will also provide invaluable advice about how the process of moving someone out of the home works, and how they can make the transition as straightforward as possible.

Why Do People Change Care Homes?

The care home doesn’t feel like the right fit

No matter how long you spend researching care homes and deciding, you may still end up in a home that doesn’t feel right.

So many factors go into the care home experience that even if you did your homework, it’s still impossible to predict whether this new setting will suit you in the long term.

You may feel your needs aren’t being properly catered for, or the activities on offer aren’t in tune with your personal interests. It could also be something else, such as not fitting in amongst the other residents or the setting not feeling right for whatever reason.

Your care needs have increased

Older adults’ care needs often increase as time goes on. It may be the case that when you first moved into a care home, personal care such as helping you with washing and dressing was enough on a day-to-day basis. Whereas, you now require additional care that the staff in your current home can’t provide, or doesn’t have the necessary facilities to do so.

If you now require intensive rehabilitation following a stroke or medical support with a condition such as Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis, a nursing home may be the best option. Meanwhile, if you or your loved one is living with dementia, a dementia care home can look after you in a safe setting. In these homes, staff are trained in specific dementia care techniques, including calming methods and reminiscence.

If your care needs increase, be sure to first check whether your current home can provide an increased level of care.

Your current care home is no longer affordable

If your money runs out, you might not be able to afford care home fees in the home you’re currently living in, meaning you’ll need to move to a less expensive one.

If this happens, you can undergo a financial assessment to see if you now qualify for funding support from your local authority. A financial assessment immediately follows a care needs assessment, and you can book this here. The value of your savings and assets determines whether you or your local authority will pay for care. If your local authority begins paying, they won’t necessarily be able to afford the fees of the care home you’re currently in.

Other funding may also be available, such as NHS continuing healthcare and NHS-funded nursing care (for people receiving nursing care in a nursing care home). You could also get a top up fee from a family member or friend to help make up the difference you’re no longer able to afford.

Financial support is available to eligible self-funders as well, such as Attendance Allowance (if you’re above the State Pension age) and Personal Independence Payment (if you’re below the State Pension age).

Other circumstances

If you’re paying your own fees and have mental capacity (meaning you can make decisions for yourself), you can technically leave your care home whenever you like, depending on what’s written in your contract.

However, if you’re planning on moving back to your home or to live with a family member, the house must be properly adapted for your needs and you must have a suitable caregiver who can provide the daily care and support you require. If awarded, support such as the disabled facilities grant (worth up to £30,000 in England) can be used to provide new or modify current facilities within your home, making it safer for an older adult to live in.

Explore All Possible Angles Before Changing Care Homes

If you feel that you want to move care homes, we recommend taking the time to explore every possible avenue first.

Finding a care home can be difficult, and transitioning to a different home can be stressful for you and your loved ones.

Before committing to a new home, speak to care home managers, family and friends for advice and to see whether changing rooms, routines or care services might solve your problem, without the need to move homes.