Accommodation Rest homes & hospitals   Levels of care

Rest Homes
Rest homes allow some independence and privacy in home-like surroundings. Access in and around the facility is geared toward people who have difficulty with mobility e.g. may need to use a walking frame. The majority of rest home residents are women over the age of 85 years and a significant number have memory loss. Rest homes employ a registered nurse some hours each week, there is at least one care staff on-duty at all times with another on-call. More staff members are on duty according to the number of residents.

 

Dementia Rest Home
A person with dementia does not necessarily require care in a dementia rest home. The assessor consults with others, e.g. a psycho-geriatrician, and recommends the most appropriate type of care facility. Residents of dementia rest homes are mobile and show confusion that requires specialist care in a secure environment.
Dementia rest homes are small - usually no more than 20 beds. They provide higher levels of staff trained in dementia care and have enclosed garden areas with access to the street restricted. Dementia rest homes employ a registered nurse some hours per week and have one staff member on duty at all times, with another readily available on-site.

 

Private Hospitals
These hospitals care for older people who need nursing due to illness and disability. Although they are called hospitals, long-stay hospitals are very different from public hospitals. They do not have doctors on duty 24 hours, or specialised rehabilitation. Hospital residents tend to be immobile and many of them are confused.
Private hospitals have two staff on duty at all times, one registered nurse and one caregiver, more staff according to numbers of residents.

 

Specialist Hospitals
Specialist hospitals are sometimes called ‘psychogeriatric hospitals’. The residents have high dependency needs coupled with challenging or noisy behaviours. The behaviour may be due to dementia, or the combination of an age-related disability and a mental health condition. Staff members are trained to manage this type of behaviour.
Specialist hospitals have two staff on duty at all times, one registered nurse and one caregiver, more staff according to number of residents. For larger facilities with several units on one site, registered nursing cover can be shared between units for the hours 10pm to 7am.