What Is The Difference Between a Retirement Home & a Nursing Home?
What is a Retirement Home?
A Retirement Home is designed to provide older adults independence, recreational activities, and places for socialisation in a home-from-home environment. Also known as ‘Retirement Communities’, ‘Retirement Villages’ and ‘Assisted Living’, Retirement Homes provide opportunities for elderly individuals to live their normal lives without risking their health and safety by offering care and support services on standby.
A Retirement Home is perfect for those who need a little help now and then in order to keep doing the activities they enjoy, but who can manage their lives on their own for the most part.
Benefits include:
- A healthy and active lifestyle within assisted living communities
- Independent living, with support where required
- Autonomous, with the freedom to choose entertainment, activities, food, bedtime and more
- Staffed 24 hours a day, with a key number of qualified care assistants
- Onsite Facilities for a luxury lifestyle
A Retirement Home is not to be confused with a Residential Care Home. Residential care provides more aid and assistance to an individual due to an in-house care team that is available on a 24-hour basis. The cost of living differs between a Retirement Home and a Residential Care Home. As care services are not included in a Retirement Home, should an individual require care they will have to pay considerably more.
What is a Nursing Home?
A Nursing Home provides 24-hour medical care and supports personal living needs. This type of environment is ideal for individuals who need intensive rehabilitative care (following a stroke for example), those who have physical disabilities, mental health conditions, or a chronic illness.
Nursing care is delivered in a Nursing Home or a care home that offers nursing care, by Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioners who have the experience and qualifications who are on hand to administer medication, contribute to a patient's plan of care and collaborate with medical doctors.
Nursing Home costs are usually higher than a Retirement Home, due to the expert care and facilities available designed to improve someone’s quality of life. A percentage of Nursing Homes offer NHS funded nursing care (fnc) depending on whether an individual is eligible following an assessment.
A Nursing Home and Nursing Home Care encompasses all the benefits that a Retirement Home holds, as well as:
- A higher level of care
- More suited to people living with disabilities, immobility and long-term medical conditions
- Staffed by registered nurses
- Supported by GP’s, pharmacists and specialist medical teams to ensure the highest standards of care
What is the difference between a Retirement and a Nursing Home?
Both types of care support residents in a homely, live-in accommodation equipped with assisted living facilities, where qualified staff look after personal needs. Both Retirement Homes and Nursing Homes encourage residents to live independently and enjoy an independent lifestyle by utilising the wide range of facilities and communal areas available. Nursing Care equally supports personal needs but also cares for residents who require a care plan that requires a Registered Nurse who will provide and administer treatment and care.
Key differences: A Retirement Home is for people with a very low level of physical dependency compared to those living in a Nursing Home. A retirement home is fitted with everything needed to assist with everyday tasks – washing, dressing, cooking and so on, but their level of physical needs are low to moderate and they do not require continual supervision of a nurse. In addition to personal care, Nursing Care also provides medical care administered by a Registered Professional. At a Nursing Home, there is a far greater percentage of staff to residents in all areas of the home, which further maximises the level of support provided to those who need 24-hour care.
Key factors to consider
Whether a person needs support in a Retirement or Nursing Home will depend on each individual situation, but key factors to consider include:
- Mobility
If a person is bed-bound or requires hoisting to move from a bed to a chair for example. - Complex Medical Conditions
A health condition that requires the specialist knowledge and care of Registered Nurses. - 24-hour Support
Medical conditions that require constant monitoring.
Nursing Care at Harrier Grange Care Home, Andover
Our nursing care is person-centred meaning all residents receive care plans that are completely suited to their unique needs. Nursing care is the best type of treatment for those who are suffering from physical and mental illnesses.
Our team is dedicated to providing the best possible care to all residents at every moment. Nursing care is available at Harrier Grange Care Home 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our fantastic staff consists of trained nurses and care assistants, each of whom will be allocated to each resident so that residents can have a designated nurse by their side. Our qualified nurses work alongside you to create a personal care plan, to ensure you're getting the support you need, with regular checks to ensure this is kept up to date for any changes and requirements that change, factoring in complex medical needs, ensuring help and support is always available.
Our approach has always been to give each of our residents a luxurious lifestyle that they deserve, alongside the opportunity to provide them with the greatest possible quality of life throughout their stay with us. We have a range of first-class facilities to support your loved ones in our care home, with a fully independent lifestyle, alongside the care and nursing support that they need. Our facilities range from a salon & nail bar to our in-house cinema room, there is always plenty to do here at Harrier Grange, Nursing Care Home in Andover.
Get In Touch With Us To Learn More
Researching elderly care homes can be an overwhelming process. Knowing where to turn or who to turn to, and understanding the costs of care and funding options can be difficult.
Whether looking for yourself, a family member or a loved one, our supportive and friendly staff at Harrier Grange Care Home are on hand to offer advice on Nursing, Residential, Respite and Dementia Care. We welcome you to get in touch with any questions you have regarding our care services, or even visit and see for yourself the support that we offer.
