Care home for elderly needed within 25 miles of here- any recommendations?

[Minitoots]

Our parents are currently in a residential care home for the elderly in another part of the country and we're considering moving them to one nearer to us, anywhere from fairly near here or parts of Kent abut as far as Sevenoaks... Does anyone know of any good homes they'd recommend? We need somewhere that can care for those in early stages of dementia for one of our parents, and also with a lot of activities and a proportion of relatively active residents for the other parent! Fees are also an issue - we/they can't afford anything too extortionate, especially with 2 of them to consider.

[dbboy]

You could try Sunrise at Frognal House, not cheap but may help. http://www.sunrise-care.co.uk/care-homes/frognal-house/overview.aspx

[Pugwash]

Sunrise House had fees of around ?1000 pw when I last applied there for someone.

From experience in trying to find a care home for someone with dementia between Southwark and Hastings including Kent and Sussex - of the 39 homes I contacted, the few that had vacancies were charging ?900 - ?1400 per week.

It is very rare to find a home which has 2 vacancies.

There is an extreme shortage of care homes in the SE of England and this has been raised by many local authorities with NHS England. From professional experience - where there is a vacancy in a care home you usually find that at least 15 others are chasing it.

You may be better off leaving your parents in their current home as moving could have a detrimental affect of their well being ( obviously if you are moving them because of poor care that is a different matter). Care Homes contracts normally state that the need a minimum of 4 weeks notice of any move and/or fees in lieu of notice. The new care home is unlikely to hold a place for 4 weeks plus unless full fees paid in advance.

[chuff]

We use Sunrise in Purley for mother in law who has dementia. The care and facilities are great but it is expensive. She currently makes use of all the trips available so we are finding it worthwhile at the moment.