Help With Choosing a Care Home in Norfolk

Help With Choosing a Care Home in Norfolk

Making the decision to move an elderly relative into a care home is a big decision and not one that any of us take lightly. On top of this, finding one that has the right facilities for them and is in a suitable location can make it a daunting task. AgeSpace has put together this page to be your guide on how to find the best care homes for your relatives in Norfolk.

Broads - Cultural Gems

To help you knowย what to look for in potential care homes, Age Space has produced a comprehensive guide of things to consider, including a checklist on what to look for and questions to ask when researching specific care homes.

Finding Norfolk Care Homes

Age Space is working hard on making our own care home search engine to help you find the best care home options in your area. In the meantime, we recommend using a directory likeย CareHomes.co.uk to see all of the options available in Norfolk.

NorseCare

NorseCare is Norfolk’s largest care home provider and is endorsed by Norfolk County Council, with properties all across the county that cater to elderly people and those with physical disabilities. They have a number of specialist dementia care homes, with dedicated areas for those living with dementia.

They also operate Housing With Care schemes, that provide people with the care and support they need alongside the independence of living in their own flat with a tenancy agreement.

You can visit the NorseCare website or get in contact using the details below to find out where their homes are located and get more information about them.

Different Areas to Consider in Norfolk

There are care home options to be found all across Norfolk, immediately offering the choice of urban, rural and coastal settings, depending on what would be best suited to your relative’s lifestyle. We have given a brief overview to each area below, including any major benefits of each.

For more information on a good day out, visit our page on the Top 5 Accessible Days out in Norfolk.

Breckland

In the centre of Norfolk, Breckland is home to the old Saxon capital of East Anglia, Thetford, as well as the market towns of Attleborough, Swaffham and Watton. The A11 and A47 both pass through Breckland, making it well connected by road, but public transport links to the rest of the country are limited outside of Thetford. There are plenty of beautiful, rural spaces to enjoy across the district, as well as a rich history for those interested!

Care Homes in Breckland

Broadland

Broadland is made up by the small market towns of Acle, Aylsham, Blofield, Reepham and Wroxham, as well as benefiting from being immediately north of Norwich. Most notably known for The Broads national park in the south of the district, Broadland is another option for those more rurally inclined, but with a closer proximity to the city and coast. It is, again, visited by the A47 making for easy links with the midlands, however public transport links are more limiting for further journeys.

Care Homes in Broadland

Great Yarmouth & East Norfolk

For those looking for later life on the coast, East Norfolk is the place to look with it’s many small villages and primary resort town of Great Yarmouth. Given it’s location, there is always plenty to do from exploring shops and museums, to relaxing on the beach, however, it should be noted that it gets incredibly busy from tourists in the summertime. The A47 makes for easy travel by road and the major town of Great Yarmouth means there are good rail connections for the rest of Norfolk and into Suffolk.

Care Homes in Great Yarmouth

Great Yarmouth - Elderly Lunch Clubs in Norfolk

King's Lynn & West Norfolk

Aside from Norwich, West Norfolk’s central town of King’s Lynn is the most densely populated area of the county. This offers residents access to some of the conveniences available in urban living, but with a more immediate connection to the countryside and quaint market towns, such as Downham Market. There are also a number of coastal towns on the north coast of West Norfolk, such as Hunstanton and Titchwell, that can give a seaside experience without the tourist heavy summers of Great Yarmouth. The A10 and A47 run directly through King’s Lynn, which also has reasonably good rail connections to the rest of the county.

Care Homes in King’s Lynn & West Norfolk

North Norfolk

North Norfolk is best known for the seaside town of Cromer, which also has it’s own hospital – the second largest in the county. The area has the A140 and A148 roads that make it easily accessible from Norwich and King’s Lynn, but it’s a little further reaching for the rest of the county and connecting up with public rail transport. North Norfolk is another example of beautiful rural and coastal living in Norfolk, offering another option to those looking for a peaceful time in later life.

Care Homes in North Norfolk

Norwich

Norwich is Norfolk’s only city, with a bustling high street and plenty of activities and museums, it makes for the ideal spot for those looking for a busier life with easier access to city amenities. Norwich is visited by both the A11 and A47, making it well connected by road, as well as having good rail connections to the rest of Norfolk, Suffolk and London.

Care Homes in Norwich

Norwich - Elderly Lunch Clubs in Norfolk

South Norfolk

South Norfolk is a rural area of the county, primarily made up of market towns and villages, such as Wymondham and Hethersett. It is situated fairly centrally to major surrounding areas in Norfolk and Suffolk, including Norwich, Thetford, Lowestoft and Bury St. Edmunds, offering a lot of indirect methods of public transport connections.

Care Homes in South Norfolk

Average Care Home Fees in Norfolk

How much you can expect to pay for a care home each year depends on whether or not the older person in question requires residential care only, or residential with nursing care. In the UK this is usually around ยฃ37,237 per year (residential) and ยฃ51,700 (nursing).

(Estimates taken from a study by LaingBuisson from the Care of Older People UK Market Report 2018, adjusted for inflation)

Counties in the south tend to have above average care home fees, however, this doesn’t mean you can expect to pay these prices. Care home costs are dependent on a lot of things, such as location, facilities, space, type or care, length of care, staff per resident and other preferences.

The Benefits and Drawbacks of Life in Norfolk

There are many picturesque and peaceful areas to live across Norfolk, with its combined access to green, rural spaces and the coast, as well as options for those looking for a busier lifestyle in the more populated Norwich or King’s Lynn. By road, the county is very well connected within itself, so there are plenty of ideal spots for your relative to spend their later life within easy reach of your own Norfolk home.

Rail transport is limited outside of Norwich and the other major towns in Norfolk, making it less of a choice for those thinking of moving from further away. That said, many parts are relatively easily reachable from the nearby major cities of Cambridge, Ipswich and London.

Hospitals

Below, we have listed the two major hospitals in Norfolk: