I would like to thank all of the dementia care homes that responded to my appeal for a dementia care home that could cope with challenging behaviour.  It can be very distressing when you need to find a care home that deals with challenging behaviour, but it is quite common amongst sufferers of dementia.

Therefore, to have received such a response from the 3 star care homes that are listed on best-care-home.co.uk has been wonderful and extremely supportive.  The phone calls and emails have been coming in all day and Managers of homes from all over the country have been sharing their experiences of how they deal with challenging behaviour so that we can work out how best to deal with the enquiry I received at best-care-home.co.uk

We are always willing to help anybody that contacts us to find a care home, however difficult and challenging the behaviour or circumstances.

So a big thank you to the 3 star care homes!

3 star dementia homes

3 star nursing homes

3 star residential homes

A National Care forum survey in January this year confirmed that self funding residents of care homes are not getting the support that they are entitled to from Social Services.

For example, Dorothy, a 96 year old woman who was funding her own care in a residential care home, would have had her deteriorating health picked up far sooner if she had been a social services client.  Social Services claimed that because she funded her own care, she was outside the "positive safeguarding framework" provided for social services clients through the system of assessment and regular care reviews.

Gary Fitzgerald, chief executive of Action on Elder Abuse, echoed the review's concerns about the lack of support for self funders and added that providers should still be conducting an assessment of need and had  a responsibility to pick up safeguarding concerns.

At best-care-home we recognise the minimal information provided by social services for self funders and dedicate our website to helping those who are paying for their own care, by providing information to help you get the best care.

Self funder - what do I do now?

How to find the best care if you are a self funder

The best care awards

Everybody has different needs and objectives when they are looking for the best care.  But the one thing that every person must have is the information that will help them to make their decision.

At best-care-home we encourage care homes and domiciliary care agencies to provide you with as much information as possible on their individual listing.  In addition to this we ask members of the public who are using the service to leave personal recommendations that will give you a personal insight into the character of the home.

We also run the only care home award that is voted for by the public, highlighting the best care in England, according to the people that use it.  The prizes of professional videos of the service, gives you even more information about the care and introduces you to the staff.  The award is also open to domiciliary care for the first time this year.  If you would like to nominate a 3 star care home or domiciliary care agency for the award please get in touch.

For information about how to ensure that your care home or domiciliary agency is included in the competition for the best care in England click here.

The needs of those using domiciliary care must be met and the first need is that of being able to find the best domiciliary care agency.  Over 85% of people, who are still working, search for their information on the internet and this figure may well be higher amongst those who are paying for their own care - 'self funders'.

It makes sense therefore that a domiciliary care agency has an online presence and  presents themselves in the professional way that prospective clients would expect.  At best-care-home.co.uk we only list 3 star care homes and domiciliary care agencies and we provide full information on the services that they offer.  If your domiciliary care agency is not listed with us please get in touch.

The best domiciliary care will be found amongst those agencies that have achieved the highest rating of 3 stars 'Excellent', by the Care Quality Commission.  Unfortunately this rating system is to be phased out and as yet there is no replacement. 

So, at best-care-home we go one step further to help you find the best care homes and the best domiciliary care agencies, we encourage those that use the service to leave personal recommendations giving others the information they might need to choose the best domiciliary care that most suits their needs.  If you would like to leave a personal recommendation about the domiciliary care agency you use, or about a care home that you use please contact us.

The first public award for domiciliary care will be presented by Best-care-home.co.uk in January.  The nominees must be 3 star rated 'Excellent' domiciliary agencies and the first prize is a professional video of the service, valued at £2,000.

Votes will come from the people that use the service, their relatives, friends and staff of the domiciliary agency.  If your agency is eligible contact best-care-home to be included in this unique competition.

The competition also encourages people who have voted for a service to leave a personal recommendation that will help others to choose which is the best domiciliary agency to meet their needs.

Best-care-home already runs awards for the best care homes in England and due to the success of last years competition these awards will be split this year into care homes with under 20 registered beds and care homes with 20 beds and over.  The prize for all of the regional winners is also a professional video valued at £2,000.

For full details of the award.