Care Homes for People with Learning Disabilities or Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

People with learning disabilities or ASD live in a variety of settings according to their wishes and personal needs. These options can range from independent living with a carer visiting or homesharing, (where a person shares their house with a volunteer or someone who provides care as a form of rent), through to living in group homes with other people with learning disabilities, or living in residential or nursing care homes.

There are many terms and definitions used for types of social care, including ‘care home, ‘residential home’ and ‘nursing home’.  Generally speaking, ‘Care Home’ is the umbrella term and refers to residences which may provide accommodation along with personal or nursing care.

A care home providing residential care for people with learning disabilities will provide personal care for the resident throughout the day and night.  This can involve help with washing and dressing, provision of meals and help with eating, and helping a resident get to the toilet.  Residential care homes are ideal for a person who needs some support but who has a level of independence and a certain ability to tend to their own needs.

A care home providing nursing care for people with learning disabilities goes one step further with the degree of care provided.  It will provide accommodation and personal care but also provides qualified nursing – in fact by law, nursing homes have to have a qualified nurse on duty 24 hours a day.  Nursing care homes tend to be more expensive due to the additional cost of nursing care.

Both residential and nursing care homes often provide care for a specific age or type of learning disability.  Others will provide care for people who have more complex disabilities – for example, whilst autism is not a learning disability or mental health condition, some people with autism have an accompanying learning disability, learning difficulty or mental health problem. With this in mind, many homes will have been adapted to meet the needs of the residents, with equipment to aid independence, along with sensory rooms, access to hydrotherapy pools and focused activities and events.

Care homes can be run by private companies (individuals or larger groups), charities or local authorities.  Whoever owns them, all care homes should be registered and monitored by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Mark Sadler