Dementia care services in Croydon

What the CQC register shows for dementia care in Croydon

82% is the share of Croydon's home care agencies registered for dementia care: 127 out of 155. Nationally it is 79%. Of the 83 specialist home care agencies with a rating, 82% are Good or Outstanding, compared with 84% of all rated home care agencies in Croydon and 88% of specialist home care agencies across England. Among them, 15 are rated below Good and 1 Outstanding.

44 of the specialist home care agencies have not been rated yet. In Croydon, 41% of care homes list this specialism with CQC (53 of 128), against 57% of care homes in England. Specialist care homes in Croydon score 91% Good or Outstanding (47 rated). The figure is 90% for the area as a whole and 80% for England's specialist care homes.

Of the specialist homes, 27 offer nursing care. Together they register 2,464 beds. Ratings at the ends of the scale: 2 Outstanding, 4 Requires improvement or Inadequate. There is no published rating yet for 6 of these care homes.

Care UK Care Services Limited runs the most of these care homes (4).

Figures from the CQC register as of Oct 2026.

Help outside the council

National advice: Alzheimer's Society Dementia Support Line, 0333 150 3456. Carers' service locally: Carers First.

Help from London Borough of Croydon

Attendance Allowance has no means test, and a direct payment (when the council is funding care) lets you hire a provider with relevant expertise. How care is paid for in Croydon.

Both follow an assessment of needs, which is free. Savings play no part in getting one; the test is whether day-to-day difficulties meet national eligibility rules. Asking for an assessment in Croydon.

What to check before you choose

• A listed specialism is self-declared and does not prove experience.
• Ask about clients with similar needs and the training staff get.
• Check continuity (a small regular team) and how upset or refusals are handled.
• Read the full report, not only the grade.

Other questions to put to each provider:

• What do you do when someone is distressed, or wants to leave?
• How do you avoid using medication to manage behaviour?
• How do you get to know the person (life story, routines, likes and dislikes)?