For care seekers looking for the right care home in Wales, we hope this guide helps you make your decisions.
Choosing the right care home can be difficult, as care seekers need to think about location, amenities, the type of care available and of course the cost of care.
Care home costs will vary, depending on the type of care a person needs, and where a care home is situated.
Here are the different types of care homes available in Wales.
Residential care homes
Residential care homes usually cover basic care needs, including help with daily tasks like washing, dressing and assisting residents with medication.
Nursing care homes
As nursing care homes provide round-the-clock care for residents who may have complex health care needs and conditions, nursing care homes are generally more expensive.
Nursing care homes also provide personal care for residents, but the difference between a nursing care home and a residential care home is that there will always be at least one qualified nurse on duty.
Dementia care homes
Dementia care homes provide specialist care to residents, which is why they usually charge higher fees than both residential and nursing homes.
This is because dementia care can be complex, with care recipients requiring 24/7 care and special therapy equipment to support them.
At the moment, people living with dementia in Wales have to fund the complete cost of their care, unless they have assets totalling less than £50,000.
At the moment, people living with dementia in the UK have to fund the complete cost of their care, unless they have assets totalling less than £23,250.
Respite care homes
Respite care homes offer short periods of care for someone whose carer is on holiday or cannot care for them due to an emergency.
The cost of care homes in Wales
Depending on the type of care, and how much support your loved one needs, the cost of care will vary. For example, the average cost of care per week in Wales for 2024/25 is as follows:
- Residential care: £1,1,98
- Nursing care: £1,456
- Residential dementia care: £1,309
- Nursing dementia care: £1,564
- Residential Respite care: £1,317
Savings thresholds for care home costs in Wales 2024/2025
If a person's total savings and assets are over £50,000, they must self-fund their care.
There’s no lower threshold in Wales, so if you have less than this amount, you’ll be eligible for the maximum amount of support.
Article updated on July 10th 2024.