What is the difference between a care home and a nursing home?

There are 2 main types of care home:

• care and residential homes
• nursing homes

Some care homes offer both residential and nursing care places. 

Care and residential homes

These provide accommodation and personal care, such as help with:

• washing
• dressing
• taking medicines
• going to the toilet

Some care homes also offer activities, such as day trips.

Nursing homes

These also provide personal care but there will always be 1 or more qualified nurses on duty to provide nursing care. These are sometimes called care homes with nursing.

Some nursing homes offer services for people that may need more care and support. For example, people with:

• severe learning disabilities
• severe physical disabilities
• complex medical conditions that needs help from a qualified nurse - such as someone who has a colostomy or who is fed through a tube.