What is a Care Plan In a Care Home? Why They're Important
Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes
If you’ve been found as needing care and support after a care needs assessment takes place, you’ll get a care plan. This carefully lays out the help you can expect to receive and how this will be given.
We’ve also highlighted the importance of care and support plans, what they contain and different plan types.
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In this article on care plans:
- What is a care plan?
- Why are care plans important?
- Making a care plan
- Types of care plans
- Daily care plans
- Involving the person
- Care plan reviews
- How to complain if you aren’t happy
- How to check staff are following care plans
- Care plans in care homes
What Is a Care Plan?
In health and social care, care plans ensure people receive the right level of care that’s best suited to their needs. A care plan clearly lays out the type of care needed (such as round-the-clock supervision and ongoing medical care or assistance with day-to-day tasks and support taking certain medications), the level of support needed, how this will be given and any other important details.
Care plans guide care professionals, as they use them to ensure the care they’re providing is exactly what the care seeker requires.
Why Are Care Plans Important?
Care plans are extremely important and every person receiving care - whether that’s through home care or in a care home - should have one.
Not only do they give the individual achievable goals, aims and structure for their care, but they also help promote independence in care, allowing them to retain as much control as possible over their life and continue to do the things they love and enjoy.
Another benefit of support plans is that they help the person’s family members and loved ones to better understand their care needs, health conditions and how they can offer additional support with day-to-day tasks.
The care planning process is essential to ensure that the care seeker consistently receives the right level of care and that their requirements and personal preferences are known by any staff in charge of their care. For example, a carer or personal assistant visiting your loved one at home should know their exact requirements.
Care plans have several other benefits:
They record conversations, decisions and agreed outcomes in an easy-to-understand way for the person receiving care
They outline the description of a person, why their plan is achievable and effective, and what matters to them most within the plan
They allow care to be more personalised and tailored to individual requirements. This ensures needs are always met to the standards and wishes of the person receiving care, including any religious or cultural preferences
Care is more consistent and services are better coordinated, as everyone involved will be following the same guidelines, giving your loved one some much-needed stability
They make it easier to manage symptoms
They outline how to navigate certain situations, such as emergencies, medical or medication issues
They take the pressure off of carers, as it gives them a clear indication of what support to provide. There may also be extra support for caregivers, such as access to resources and help, including specialist training
They use risk management to keep your loved one safe at home, such as removing potential hazards and ensuring medication is managed correctly
Reviews can be easily made as care needs change, meaning care will always be up-to-date
Legal and financial planning can also be included when considering long-term planning, giving peace of mind that your loved one’s needs will be respected
Making a Care Plan
A care plan is created after your loved one has undergone a care needs assessment. You can apply for a care needs assessment by social services through your local council.
A needs assessment will look at your unique care requirements and the level of support you need, as well as the type of care that would best suit you.
After this assessment, a team of health and social care professionals creates a care plan, usually in collaboration with the person receiving care and their family members or other close friends.
Creating a care plan can take a couple of weeks. You should have a say in what goes into your it, so don’t be afraid to voice personal wishes for your own care, no matter how big or small.
What support should be included in a care plan?
As care plans are tailor-made for the individual, no two should be the same. However, there are some common things that a plan should include, such as:
- What type of care is needed, such as personal care or nursing care. It should also include specific services within these, such as help with getting dressed and undressed, getting in and out of bed, washing and using the bathroom (or forms of specialist care like wound dressing and stoma care)
- What medication is needed, when it needs to be taken and what dosage is needed
- Where care will be given, such as through home care or in a care home, along with who will provide care (such as a carer or a different healthcare professional)
- Any adaptations needed to keep you safe when living at home, along with potential hazards to be removed like loose wires
- Whether you qualify for local authority funding (determined by a financial assessment) and if so, how much your personal budget or direct payments are worth
- A photo of the resident for easy identification
- Goals and aspirations: What the care seeker wants to get out of their care
- The care seeker’s hobbies, likes, dislikes and preferences on meals and daily routine
- Details of key dates and life events (this is particularly important for care seekers with dementia)
- Details of continuity of care and emergency contacts
- Details of end of life care, if required (this is often offered in a palliative care home)
As well as medical history, details of medication and history of injuries and illness, a good care plan may also include information about the person’s history, employment history, family, culture and religion to give carers and staff a complete understanding of the person.
We’re here to help you find the right care home for you or your loved one. You can request a free list of care homes from our Care Experts, who will then share homes matching your budget, location and type of care needed. You can also search for care through our easy-to-use directory.
Types of Care Plans
Along with broader care and support plans, there are also more specific plans aimed at catering to people with often specialist care needs, including people who require nursing or dementia care. Below, we’ve explained how the different types may differ.
Nursing care plans
Nursing care plans are similar to general ones, with the exception that they likely contain more specific information on medication, specific care needed for certain health conditions and equipment or adaptations someone might need in their home or care home.
Any changes to the resident’s health condition will be carefully noted in their health record and their support needs will be updated.
Ensuring plans are regularly updated will ensure that staff switching shifts are all on the same page and can pick up where the last carer left off to make sure nothing is missed. It also means that all care needs will be met.
Dementia care plans
A dementia care plan is a more specific version of a regular care plan for somebody living with dementia. A care plan lays out the care and support somebody needs (such as personal care or a specialist form of care like nursing care or palliative care).
Dementia is progressive, so someone’s needs will likely change over time, which is why dementia care plans are regularly reviewed and adjusted as required.
Dementia care plans include the specific dementia care needed by the person, where they should receive that care (such as through home care or in a care home), and other important details like their daily routine, to ensure they can continue leading a fulfilling lifestyle.
Dementia care plans give carers and other healthcare professionals a clear roadmap of how to provide care by following the person’s wishes and needs.
Advance care plans
An advance care plan is also important for someone living with dementia. An advance care plan records your loved one’s wishes for the future, including:
- What medical treatments they’d like to receive
- How they’d like end-of-life care to be given
- Who they’d like to be cared for by
- Who they’d like to make decisions on their behalf, should they lose the mental capacity to do so (through a lasting power of attorney)
- Information about their will
- Information about their funeral
Dementia UK has created an advance care plan template to make creating and filling in one of these easier.
Daily Care Plans
Although care plans look at the long-term aspect of someone’s care, daily records are also important.
Daily records help care home staff stay on top of residents’ care, especially in a care home where there are multiple members of staff on different shifts.
Staff should use the information in a care plan to tailor their approach to each individual – whether that’s remembering which foods someone is allergic to, or knowing which residents would be interested in doing a singing class.
Care plans also ensure that staff and residents can work together to achieve the person’s care goals; for example, completing daily physio exercises to help the person maintain their mobility.
Most care homes will update care records daily to make sure staff have the right information at the right time, reducing the likelihood of accidents and keeping residents happy and well-cared for.
Involving the Person
The most important thing about care planning is that it should be created around the person in question.
If it’s your care plan, make sure your opinions are heard and that you have a clear understanding of what is going into your care.
If the care plan is for your relative or loved one, don’t leave them out of conversations about their care and involve them in every decision. Their wants and wishes should be prioritised to ensure they are healthy and happy at all times.
Even if the care seeker in question has dementia, mental health problems, a disability or the person lacks capacity they should still be included at every step of the way; from the first conversation about their care, to ongoing care plan reviews.
Facial expressions, body language, gestures and behaviours can be used to communicate if speech is not always possible. Communication is key and can make all the difference between someone being unhappy in care and someone having the best experience possible.
Care Plan Reviews
Care plans are flexible and can easily be updated or amended at any time. If your local council has arranged your care and support plan, they have a duty to review it and make changes or updates if needed.
The first time your care plan is reviewed should be within three months after it has first been made. After that, you should have a care plan review at least once a year – but this isn’t set in stone.
How often a care plan should be reviewed depends on the person’s needs. For example, if they only require a small amount of personal care, it may only need reviewing every few months. However, someone living with dementia, particularly middle or late-stage dementia with rapidly progressing symptoms, should probably have their care plan reviewed every month or so. Regular reviews and changes ensure the most up-to-date care and support are given.
If you ever feel your plan is no longer supporting your needs, or you want to lodge a complaint, we've explained below.
How to Complain if You Aren’t Happy
Your care plan should be reviewed regularly, giving you an opportunity to say what’s working and not working, and whether you want any changes to be made.
If you are unhappy with your care plan, you can get in touch with adult social services at your local council to request a review.
Most local councils have a formal complaints procedure in place that you can follow by going to their website. If this is unsuccessful, you can escalate your complaint to your local government and social care ombudsman.
Ask a family member or a friend to help you make your complaint if you cannot easily access the Internet or phone.
How to Check Staff Are Following Care Plans
When you’re researching care homes, look for evidence that the staff clearly understand and use care plans. Staff should ask for residents’ preferences each time they provide care or support; for example, asking residents when they’d like their medication, asking what they’d like for dinner, or remembering that they have sugar in their tea.
If staff are friendly, respectful, informative and happy to talk to friends and family about their loved one’s care, this is another good sign.
Finally, if you can see evidence that the staff and care team are consistently reviewing residents’ plans, asking for feedback from all parties involved and taking steps to offer care plan reviews, it’s probably a great place to live!
Care Plans in Care Homes
When somebody moves into a care home, a plan for their care is essential in making sure they have all the support that’s needed to feel healthy and happy within the home.
Most care homes use a standard format for care planning, meaning new members of staff can quickly adapt and support your loved one.
In a care home, the best plans will also inform and update family members so they can contribute to care planning. Having family involved from the get-go will make providing compassionate and personal care easier for staff. They’ll get a better understanding of likes and dislikes, lifestyle and skills.
Lottie matches care seekers with the best care homes for their needs. You can request a free care home shortlist from our Care Experts, who will share homes matching your budget, location and type of care needed. You can also search for care through our easy-to-use directory.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of a care plan?
Not only does a care plan help support care workers in providing a superb standard of care for yourself or your loved one, but they also enable carers to best understand the level and type of care every resident should receive, dependent on their individual needs. Care plans are essential as they provide a detailed outline of exactly what care and support needs to be provided.
Who writes a care plan?
Care plans are almost always made following an assessment and are written by care professionals. The person who is due to receive care will be supported to express how they’d like their care and support to be delivered. The care professional writing the plan will provide information about what services can be offered.
How often is my care plan reviewed?
If your local council has arranged support for you, this must be reviewed within a ‘reasonable time frame’ (normally within three months). After these initial three months, your care plan should then be reviewed at least once a year (or more often if needed).
