Choosing a care home
A rating and a date tell you what inspectors found; a visit tells you the rest — whether it feels warm, safe and right for someone you love. This is a plain-English guide to what to check before you go, what to look for on the day, and the questions worth asking, with a checklist you can print and take with you.
Before you visit
Do a little homework first, so the visit is time well spent:
- Check the CQC rating and its date. Read the rating withthe date it was published — a three-year-old rating may not reflect the home today. Find local homes and their dated ratings, and what the ratings mean.
- Read the inspection report. The full report on cqc.org.uk says what inspectors actually found, in their words.
- Line up two or three to compare. Save the ones worth seeing to your shortlist and compare their ratings side by side before you go.
- Visit more than once if you can — including unannounced, and around a mealtime, when a home is at its most honest.
The visit checklist
Take this with you. There are no right answers — it is a way to notice the things that matter and to remember to ask. Print it, and use one copy per home so you can compare afterwards.
First impressions
- Is it warm, clean and free of unpleasant smells?
- How are you greeted — and how do staff speak to residents?
- Do residents seem relaxed, occupied and comfortable?
- Is it homely, or does it feel institutional?
Staff and care
- How many staff are on, day and night — and do they know residents by name?
- Is there a registered nurse on site (for a nursing home)?
- How quickly are call bells answered?
- How do they support someone with the specific needs your relative has?
- How much do staff change — is there a lot of turnover or agency cover?
Daily life
- What is the food like — is there choice, and can you see a menu?
- What activities and outings happen, and did you see any today?
- Can residents keep their own routine, get up and go to bed when they like?
- Can they bring their own furniture and personalise their room?
- Are visitors welcome any time, and is there somewhere private to sit?
Health and safety
- How is medication managed and recorded?
- How do residents see a GP, dentist or district nurse?
- What happens in an emergency, or if someone's health changes?
- How do they keep people safe without being restrictive?
Money and the contract
- What is the weekly fee, and exactly what does it include?
- What costs extra — hairdressing, outings, chiropody, escorts to appointments?
- How much notice is needed to leave, and what is the refund policy?
- How often, and by how much, have fees risen recently?
- What happens if savings run low and council funding is needed later?
When things aren't right
- How do they handle complaints, and can you see the policy?
- How would they keep you informed if your relative was unwell or unhappy?
- Ask to speak to a current resident or a relative if you can.
Your gut
- Could you picture your relative living here, and being happy?
- Did staff seem to genuinely like the people they care for?
- What is your instinct telling you as you leave?
Warning signs
None of these alone is proof of a problem, but together they warrant a closer look:
- Staff who are rushed, distant, or talk over residents.
- Residents left alone for long stretches with nothing to do.
- Persistent unpleasant smells, or call bells ringing unanswered.
- Vagueness about fees, staffing numbers, or the complaints process.
- Reluctance to let you look around freely or visit again unannounced.
Your rights, and who to contact
- The council needs assessmentis the free, formal route to working out what care is needed and what funding may help — ask for one whatever the finances. How it works.
- Who paysis a separate question — see paying for care.
- If you have a concern about a home, tell the council’s adult safeguarding team, and give feedback to CQC at cqc.org.uk/give-feedback-on-care.
Where this guidance comes from
General information to help you choose, not advice about any individual or a recommendation of any home. What care a person needs is decided by the council’s assessment and their own clinicians. Find local care homes →