FAQs

For those who may need nursing care in the future but do need domestic or personal help, a close care apartment at Park View is a great solution.   Here, you can live in an apartment, with your own front door, living room with kitchenette, ensuite shower room and bedroom.   Residents subscribe to a package, which includes food, inclusive of all meals, soft drinks, tea and coffee, all heating, lighting,  water & utilities including Council Tax and a daily cleaning and laundry service.

All residents  benefit from the care and support services and facilities which are paid via a service charge. You would also have access to many extra services tailored to your needs and monitored by a care plan, which is determined during an assessment of your needs prior to admission

It can be difficult to make an informed decision in finding the right care home.  You can search on the internet for homes in your area on the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) website – www.cqc.org.uk. The CQC is responsible for inspecting registered homes and publishing their reports.

You may find helpful advice from the following;

• friends and relatives, for their recommendations
• your GP
• your local authority’s social services department, which should be able to provide a list of registered homes in your area

Both nursing and residential care homes offer accommodation, support with personal care, mobilising and mealtimes, laundry and activities of daily living.

A residential home provides support mainly with personal care and usually does not have registered nurses working there. People who find they can no longer cope with their day to day activities alone in their own home, even with a carer or visiting help may need the 24-hour support offered in a residential care home.

A nursing home will have registered nurses who give and supervise care for people whose infirmity, illness or injury require nursing care on a regular basis. Nursing care generally requires higher fees than personal care.

In addition, there are some specialist homes for those elderly people who are living with dementia .

It is important to make sure that the home you choose is the right kind for your needs, both now and in the future. If you require further information or wish to talk through your requirements, please call us on 01452 671 499 or email info@parkviewgloucester.co.uk

Our weekly fees depend on individual needs and they are based on a comprehensive pre-admission assessment. If you require further information about fees, please call our care manager on 01452 671 499 or email info@parkviewgloucester.co.uk

If you are paying all the care home’s fees, you can contact any home directly yourself. Once you have found a home you like, the home will make an assessment of your needs, so that they can be sure they can offer you the right kind of care.

Depending on your financial situation, your local authority may pay for some of the costs of your care. This depends on a means test of your savings and assets, including any income from your pension or benefits, and the value of your home.

In England if you have more than £23,250 you have to fully fund your care until your capital drops below this amount. If you are assessed as needing nursing care, even if you are paying all your own fees, the NHS will make a contribution to your fees of about £100 per week.

If the home’s fees are more expensive than the authority will pay for, you are allowed to arrange a ‘third party contribution’ from another source, but not from your own money. If the local authority has assessed that you need to live in a care home,  they will carry out an assessment of your needs, and produce a report called a care plan that outlines the care, including any nursing care, they think you need.

Choosing a care home is a very personal decision and everyone will have different opinions about what is important to them. It is important to make a short list of questions that are important to you or your relative.

AgeUK have provided a comprehensive checklist you can use if you prefer – to view it please click here.

If you have any further questions that we have not managed to answer on these pages, please call our care manager on 01452 671499 or email info@parkviewgloucester.co.uk

We have a dedicated area of the home with extra technology to help keep safe and support people living with dementia without being invasive. Our belief is that people living with dementia can be supported to live purposeful happy normal lives. The home has an experienced and well-trained care team and our care philosophy is ‘to see the person first and the dementia second’. What that means is that we understand that living with dementia can be very frustrating and by understanding the person and their viewpoint, we can better support them as they go about their daily life.

Our fees include everything required to keep residents comfortable, well cared for and safe:

• Private en-suite furnished accommodation with shower
• Care services, such personal care, washing and dressing, assistance with meals, mobilising medical aids  
• Management of medications
• Daily meals and available snacks
• Drinks and refreshments
• Access to any aids or appliances according to individual  assessed needs, including hoists, wheelchairs and walking aids
• Laundry and housekeeping service
• Use of communal lounges and facilities
• Access to and use of communal grounds/gardens
• Heating and lighting
• All utilities

You will need to pay for personal services such as hairdressing or private chiropody should you wish to use them. The weekly charge does not include activities that involve an entrance fee, such as theatre or cinema trips.

All bedrooms and apartments at Park View have en-suite facilities including a shower. Most of our residents require help with bathing and therefore specialist equipment has been installed for this purpose in separate bathrooms.

We fully understand how difficult it can be to take the decision to give up your own home and a short trial stay provides you with an ideal opportunity to see what it is like to live at Park View. We can plan an appropriate time for you to stay, based on the availability of a vacant room.

We never restrict visiting to specific hours and visitors are welcome at any time. However, visitors should be aware that there are certain times of the day when staff will be particularly busy, such as meal times. Residents are also free to get up or go to bed when it suits them, and they can choose who they want to see. If you are in any doubt about the best time to visit, please call the home.

All rooms at Park View are fully furnished but we do encourage residents to bring small items of furniture, pictures and personal belongings when they move in. We want you to feel as at home as possible in your new home and to have familiar belongings around you. You will be provided with a lockable cabinet for any valuable items.

Yes, we have an activities co-ordinator whose main role is to organise daily activities within the home and local community. When you come to live with us we will spend time getting to know how you would like us to help you continue your current lifestyle and to live the life you want. Activities range from knitting, arts and crafts, bingo and other games, to visiting entertainers, pet farms and organised day trips. All residents have the choice of taking part. For those who are less able we provide 1:1 activities such as hand massage or reading.

Nobody will try to force you to do anything you do not want to do or join in with. If the peace and quiet of your own room is your choice, then your decision will be respected at all times.

Your wishes will be taken in to consideration and these entered in your plan of care, to which we hope you will contribute.

We cater for everyone. Our chefs provide a balanced and nutritious menu choice for our residents and you can choose from several options at each mealtime. All food is prepared on site daily using fresh ingredients from quality local suppliers.

Each resident has an individual care plan, which includes food choices and dietary needs. We work closely with every resident – and will also consult with family and friends – to find out their likes and dislikes.

For those with specific dietary needs, including soft or puréed, diabetic and allergenic, we will ask about these during your pre-admission assessment and after admission our chef will visit you to talk through and special requests.

If you don’t like any of the options we will always try to provide a suitable alternative. We have a number of dining rooms at Park View but residents are welcome to enjoy their meals in their own rooms, if they prefer.

Yes, provided this is booked in advance to allow the catering staff time to prepare. There is a small charge for additional meals.

As long as there are no medical reasons that might prevent this, we always encourage trips out and know how much our residents enjoy a change of scenery. All we ask is that you keep us informed as to when you are going and when you are expected back.

We also have a coffee shop on the ground floor which is open to the public during office hours so you can ‘go out’ without leaving the home if you wish.

The home has a regular newsletter, and gets together with the relatives twice a year to discuss the home’s plans. We also post regular stories on our website. And of course you can always call us when you like.

Yes. We have an on-site hairdressing salon/therapy room for that special pampering, although the cost of this is not included in the weekly fee. Private chiropodists visit regularly, but again, this is not included in your weekly fee unless it is the NHS chiropodist you have been referred to and who visits. Chiropody treatments and hairdresser visits may also take place in your own room if this is your preference.

Our staffing ratio is dictated by the needs of our residents and the level of care they require. For instance in a nursing home, the staff ratios would usually be higher than those in a residential home. Staffing ratios do not include the home’s domestic, catering, laundry, activities and management staff.

Yes, providing your existing GP is prepared to continue looking after you and to visit the home on request. We will have an arrangement with at least one GP practice local to Park View, ensuring consistency and quality of care.

Yes – there are telephones at nurse stations at Park View that can be used from time to time. Many of our residents also choose to add to their independence by having their own telephone installed in their rooms.

Unfortunately, we cannot accept pets. We understand that it can be quite traumatic leaving a pet behind, and are quite happy for friends and family to bring well-behaved pets to visit. We do ask however, that pets are kept on a lead or in an appropriate carrier.

Please make a point of asking us if you think you may have a low maintenance animal that you could look after in your own room with a little help, such as a budgie or goldfish.

We have to say that we are a strictly no smoking establishment. This is due to many factors, the main one being the safety aspect. We also appreciate that some elderly people suffer conditions that are aggravated by a smoky environment and some simply do not wish to breathe other people’s smoke.

We acknowledge that many people enjoy a drink or two and have no objection to this unless medical considerations are a factor.

Our usual expectation is that you have sufficient funds available to pay our fees for up to three years. If your funds run out after that, the local authority would normally pay for your care at their rates, subject to a financial needs assessment. In this situation we would not expect you to leave the home.

If you have a problem that your doctor feels warrants investigation in a hospital, the decision is yours as to whether you follow his/her advice or not. A stay in hospital need rarely be lengthy as we have the nursing skills to provide for your needs once specialist input is no longer required.

We will care for you with all the support that is required to make you as comfortable as possible while respecting your wishes. We will consult as necessary with your family, your GP and other professionals on such issues as pain control and administer as indicated.

If you have any further questions that we have not managed to answer in this section, please call our care manager on

01452 671499 or email info@parkviewgloucester.co.uk