Last updated 16 December 2025

Which type of care home would suit you?

Different care homes offer different levels of care.

Understanding your needs

It’s important to consider your needs before choosing a home. You should be clear what level of support would most benefit you or your loved one and ensure the homes you look at can provide the right assistance.

A good starting point it to think about daily life and the aspects that feel more difficult or where you might need help. Support with this can come in the form of a Care Needs Assessment. This is a free assessment from your local council, where a trained professional will discuss yours or your loved one’s needs, work out what support is most suitable and put forward services that can meet those needs in a written document called a Care Plan that can be useful in guiding your search for the right care home.

Helpful resources:

Understanding different types of care

There are three main types of care available in a residential setting:

Residential care

This describes 24-hour personal and practical support that enables people to maintain their independence, if they wish, while offering assistance with everyday tasks such as bathing and housekeeping. Residential care homes are regularly visited by district nurses and GPs meaning medical care can be provided when needed. At Anchor we also ensure all of our care homes are designed to provide supportive environments for those living with dementia. Residential care aims to enable you to enjoy maximum independence as well as provide peace of mind, knowing that help is always at hand.

Dementia care

Dementia care is delivered by specially trained carers, who recognise that the symptoms of dementia are different for each person, Anchor has a number of homes that provide safe, specially adapted environments for people living with dementia. We ensure that our dementia care responds to the individual and supports what they can do through personalised care plans.

At Anchor we use the customer’s life story to build a picture of their preferences, lifestyle and history, and use this information to support the person in expressing themselves and to provide tailored care that enhances quality of life. We employ dedicated dementia specialists and all staff working in this area receive on-going dementia training and support from Anchor’s award-winning, dedicated dementia team. We also provide information and education sessions to help offer advice to family and friends of those living with dementia.

Nursing care

This type of care offers services for those with specialised nursing needs. Care homes providing nursing care offer the additional assurance of qualified nursing staff who are on hand 24-hours a day to deliver medical care and other forms of specialised support. You should consider nursing care if you have an illness or disability that means you require regular or complex nursing support.

How to find the right care home for you

Once you know the type of care you need you can start your search for a suitable care home. There are a number of different ways to research care homes and learn more about whether they would be the best fit for you, the following can be a good starting point:

Local authorities provide a list of all homes within their area.
Directory websites hosted by independent providers let you filter homes by area and care type and read reviews.
Family and friends may be able to share recommendations based on their own experience, or people they know.
Many care homes, including Anchor, run cafes and community events, providing a relaxed first look at daily life.
Local solicitors often host free workshops on planning for care - your local authority may be able to provide details of any within your area.
The Anchor website contains a simple search tool allowing you to view Anchor homes in your area.
Call Anchor’s friendly team on 0800 731 2020, and ask to speak to an advisor about care homes in your area.