Care home closures

Care home closures are a rare occurrence, but can cause anxiety and distress for those affected. This page will cover what to do if your care home is facing closure.  

What are care home closures?

This means when a care home closes permanently, and residents need to find new accommodation. This may happen because the care home provider has gone out of business, or for other reasons, such as the building being beyond serviceable repair. While these events are rare, they can have a big impact on affected residents and staff. Care home closures can leave people feeling worried, angry, and confused about their future.  

However, in many cases, residents and families will be made aware of the care home’s closure months or weeks in advance, giving time to arrange alternative care.  

This page draws on research from the University of Birmingham to explain what happens when a care home closes and what to do next.  

If your council arranged your care

If your local council arranged for you to be in a care home facing closure, that same council has a duty to arrange an alternative care home for you.  

In finding a new care home and planning your move, your council should work closely with you and anyone else you want involved, such as family and friends. 

They should carry out an assessment to identify your needs and any risks associated with your move to new accommodation. For example, if you have dementia, you may need specialist support to help you adjust to your new surroundings.  

Your council should keep you informed about their arrangements on your behalf and when they expect your move to take place. 

If the NHS arranged your care

If your care is funded under NHS Continuing Healthcare (NHS CHC), your care is the responsibility of the local NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB). Once the ICB is aware that the care home is closing, they should contact you as soon as possible about the new arrangements they will be making for you. 

The ICB has a duty to ensure that the new care home arrangements meet your individual needs. As far as possible, they should reflect your preferences when making those arrangements, and work closely with you and anyone you want involved, such as family and friends. 

What if there’s a problem with getting help from the council or the NHS?

There may be problems when your local council or the ICB respond to your situation. For example, you may be concerned about the care arrangements they are proposing, or there may be delays or a lack of information.

It’s best to raise concerns as soon as possible. Staff dealing with your case should listen and provide an appropriate and prompt response. If they agree things have gone wrong, they should work with you to put things right as soon as possible. 

If you can’t resolve things by raising concerns with staff, you can make a formal complaint. 

If your care is the responsibility of the council, you can make a complaint using their complaints procedure. We have information about making a complaint about care to your local council. 

How to complain about care to your local council 

If your care is funded under NHS CHC, complain using the NHS complaints procedure. We have information about complaining about NHS care. 

Complaining about NHS services and hospitals 

If you made private, self-funded arrangements

If you made private, self-funded, arrangements for your care, your local council may still have a responsibility to arrange alternative care for you, if needed.  

Your local council has a duty to meet your needs when a care provider has gone out of business, even if you would not normally be entitled to their help. This is important to know, particularly if you are unable to make alternative arrangements and have no one to help you.  

Once the council is aware of the care home going out of business, they should find out if you need their help with making new arrangements. Alternatively, you can contact the council to tell them about your situation. 

If you have issues with the council assisting you, you have the right to the complaint process outlined above. 

You might still prefer to arrange a new care home without the council’s involvement. Our online guide can help you find a care home that suits your needs.  

Go to care home webpage

Tips and general advice

Care home closures can be an emotionally distressing time for those affected.  

As part of their research into care home closures, the University of Birmingham have highlighted useful tips to help you, or someone supporting you, deal with a care home closure. Their tips include:  

• Talk to family, care staff about what’s happening, including how it’s making you feel. If your council is arranging your care, you can also talk to your social worker. 
• Ask for further information or for someone to explain it again if you didn’t understand the information they’ve provided so far. 
• Ask for information in the language that works best for you if you don’t speak English as a first language. 
• Families can ask if there’s extra support available if the older person has dementia. 
• Ask to visit potential new homes, or to look at photos and read about them. 
• Find out if friends within the current home can move to the same home together, if this is what everybody wants. Ask if members of care staff who support you well can also move with you. This may not be possible, but it is definitely worth asking. 
• It’s the ‘little things’ that make a real difference (someone knowing how you like your tea, your favourite foods, what you like to do etc). These aren’t really ‘little things’ at all – they’re important – so think about things that will make you feel at home. This could be useful in deciding which home to move to. It is also important to tell staff in the new home so they can help you feel settled and comfortable. 
• Remember that things can get better, even when the process of going through the closure is distressing. Some people worry about what the new home will be like, but then find that they settle well, and end up really liking it. It can help to keep an open mind until you know more about the new home. 
• If you don’t settle and remain unhappy after a period of time, it’s important to speak to someone (your family or social worker) about looking for other options.