New research has revealed the percentage of over-65s living in care homes is higher in Worthing than anywhere else in England and Wales. For this study, Guild Care analysed data from the Office of National Statistics ‘Older people living in care homes and changes over time’ report.

Overall, Worthing has the highest percentage of people 65 and over living in a care home, with 4.70%, or 1,168 out of 24,953.
That’s almost double the average, which is only 2.5%. Blackpool and Hastings have the second-highest numbers, with 4.30% of over-65s being in care homes. Eastbourne, Lincoln, and Reigate and Banstead came in third with 4.10%.

Kevin Burke, Director of Care Homes and Dementia Services at Guild Care, says:

“The data supports our experience that there is an increased need for high-quality care home placements in the Worthing area. It comes as no surprise as we face an ageing population, living with complex comorbidities, raising the need for quality care home placements across England and Wales. 

Moving to a care home is a very difficult decision but done at the right time and to the right home can be a very positive experience, enabling loved ones to live fulfilling, safe, and secure lives. You can rest assured that relatives will be provided with expert nursing along with person centred care, where they’ll also gain a sense of community, reducing loneliness and isolation.”

Kevin has these top tips for choosing an ideal care home:

1. Location
Make sure the care home is conveniently located for family visits and access to medical facilities.
2. Staffing:
Check staff-to-resident ratios, having a high ratio will enable your loved one to have the best quality of care and life. Also look at staff's expertise and their demeanour towards residents.
3. Personalised Care:
Check to see how adaptable the care home is for residents with a variety of needs, for example, does the care home offer nursing and dedicated dementia support to enable a forever home and will the price increase if needs change?
4. Licencing and Accreditation:
Confirm the care home is licenced and meets regulatory standards and has a clear quality assurance framework and check resident satisfaction by looking for reviews from sites such as carehome.co.uk
5. Cleanliness and Safety:
Assess the cleanliness and safety of the care home, including communal areas, resident rooms, and outside spaces.

To find out more about our Guild Care homes, please contact our friendly customer relationships team on 01903 327327 or email [email protected]