Moving into a care home

Everyone assessed by the Social Work Service as requiring care in a care home setting must legally pay towards the placement cost. Each person will either become Self-Funding or Local Authority funded.

West Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership offers services to support people with various needs. It may be agreed with you that a move to a care home is the most appropriate way of providing you with the support you require.

A care home is where you can live and have your care needs met by trained staff in homely surroundings, offering a wide range of support. All care homes will have a variety of specialist equipment and staff. Some are often described as nursing homes because they employ qualified nursing staff within the home. Others are often referred to as residential care homes because they do not employ qualified nursing staff but can ask a community-based nurse to visit when required.

When requested, West Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership will complete an assessment of your care needs and social well-being. If the agreed outcome with you is that you need to live in a care home, we will assess whether you require nursing care to be provided by the care home.

If you are assessed as eligible for a local authority-funded placement and move to a care home, we will pay up to the standard care home rate. Please note that the total paid will include your assessed financial contribution.

If you are assessed as self-funding,we will only pay the free personal care amount unless you have been assessed as having nursing needs; in this case, we will pay free personal care plus the nursing care component.

If, after the assessment, we think you do not need a place in a care home, you can still choose to move into a care home but will not be entitled to our funding.

Where to find information on a care home

All care homes are registered with the Care Inspectorate. For more information, visit the  Care Inspectorate website (opens new window) 

The Care Inspectorate are the regulatory body that inspects the quality of care provided at care homes. The latest inspection report and the care quality grades are available at the Care Inspectorate website. A paper copy should also be on display in each care home.  Inspection reports provide information on what the home does well and any actions or improvements that may be required.