Are you wondering what kind of nursing home you should put your elderly relatives in? In the United Kingdom, there are roughly four types of nursing homes. These nursing homes are classified according to the care that they provide the elderly people that they shelter.

These four types of nursing homes are:

1. Residential homes. Residential homes provide only the basic care for the elderly who live in their premises: accommodations, meals, personal care when it comes to bathing and grooming, and the like. However, not all residential homes have in-house nurses or doctors to handle the medical needs of the people living with them.

2. True nursing homes. The true nursing homes give all the care that residential homes often provide. On top of that, they also have in-house medical staff to attend to the medical needs of the elderly that they accommodate. However, they may have neither the people nor the facilities to handle people suffering from dementia or any similar conditions that often affect the elderly.

3. Dementia care homes. Dementia care homes are nursing homes that specialise in caring for elderly people who are afflicted with dementia, Alzheimer’s or any condition that is characterised by a degenerating mind. These dementia care homes are staffed by people with appropriate medical training.

4. Dual registered homes. Dual registered homes combine the services of residential homes and true nursing homes. They cater to elderly people who anticipate themselves requiring a different level of care in the future but do not wish to move into another nursing home just to get it dealt with. They also cater to elderly couples who have different needs but do not wish to live apart.

Nursing homes can also be privately-run entities or are operated directly by the government. There are also nursing homes that are managed by charitable institutions.