Guides · Updated November 2026
Care guides
Plain-English guides to arranging care in England: what it costs, how to pay, how to choose a provider and what the council must do. Written from official guidance and the CQC register.
- All guides
- Respite for Carers · 16
- Elderly Care · 99
- Carer Support · 48
- End-of-Life & Palliative · 28
- London · 99
- Live-in Care · 15
- Overnight Care · 11
- Reablement · 16
- Care homes · 124
- Alzheimer's & Dementia · 50
- Retirement living · 22
- Regulation & Quality · 62
- Cost & Funding · 146
- Personal Care · 15
Care homes
Coping with guilt about moving a parent into a care homeWhy guilt follows a care home move, how to check the decision honestly, and a practical first-month plan to stay involved.
End-of-Life & Palliative
DNACPR and advance decisions explained for familiesWhat a DNACPR decision does and does not mean, who decides, and how advance decisions, ReSPECT forms and LPAs fit together.
Cost & Funding
Disabled Facilities Grant: how to apply (up to £30,000)How the Disabled Facilities Grant works: what it pays for, who qualifies, the means test and how to apply.
Carer Support
Carer’s assessment: what it is and how to get oneYour legal right to a free carer's assessment under the Care Act 2014, who qualifies for support, how to prepare and how to challenge…
Care homes
Can you be forced into a care home? Mental capacity explainedAn adult with mental capacity cannot be forced into a care home; if capacity is lost, any move must be a lawful best-interests decision…
Care homes
Are care home fees all-inclusive? Extras to check in 2026Care home fees usually cover accommodation, meals, personal care and laundry, but hairdressing, chiropody, outings, phone and hospital escorts are often charged as extras.
Care homes
The 7-year rule for care home fees: myth or fact?The 7-year rule is an Inheritance Tax rule only: councils in England can look back at gifts with no time limit when assessing care…
Care homes
What to pack for a care home: a printable checklistA printable care home packing checklist covering clothes, toiletries, medicines, documents, dementia comfort items and labelling.
Care homes
Choosing a Nursing Home in Ireland: A Checklist for FamiliesA step-by-step checklist for choosing a nursing home in Ireland: start Fair Deal early, shortlist with HIQA reports, what to look for on a…
Care homes
HIQA Inspections Explained: How to Read a Nursing Home ReportHIQA does not grade nursing homes. Learn what compliant, substantially compliant and not compliant mean, what to look for in a report, and questions…
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