Moving a parent into a care home: a practical checklist

By CareFinder Team · Published 2026-06-30 · Last reviewed 2026-09-18

Work through the move in order: get a free council needs assessment, understand who will pay and how the means test treats the home, choose and check the home, put lasting powers of attorney in place, hand over medicines and health information, deal with council tax, insurance and post for the empty house, then plan the first weeks with staff.

Moving a parent into a care home goes most smoothly when you work through it in order: get a needs assessment, understand who will pay, choose and check the home, put legal authority in place, hand over medical information, sort the paperwork and the empty house, then plan the first weeks. The checklist below takes each stage in turn, with the questions families most often miss.

Step 1: Confirm what care your parent needs

• Ask the council for a needs assessment. In England, anyone who appears to need care and support can have a free assessment from the council's adult social care team, whatever their savings. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have equivalent assessments through the council or Health and Social Care Trust.
• **Decide between residential and nursing care.** Residential homes help with daily living; nursing homes also have qualified nurses on duty at all times. The NHS guide to care homes explains the difference.
• **Ask about NHS Continuing Healthcare** if your parent has complex or unpredictable health needs. If eligible, the NHS pays the full fee and it is not means-tested. Screening is often done in hospital before discharge.
• Check whether a short stay makes sense first. Some families use a respite stay to see whether a home suits their parent before committing.

Step 2: Work out who pays

The means test

If the council is involved, it carries out a financial assessment. In England, for 2026/27, someone with capital above £23,250 usually pays the full fee. Between £14,250 and £23,250, capital is taken into account on a sliding scale alongside income. Below £14,250, only income is used. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use different limits.

Your parent's home

• The home is ignored if a partner, or certain relatives such as someone aged 60 or over or a disabled relative, still lives there.
• For a permanent placement, the value is ignored for the first 12 weeks, giving time to decide what to do.
• A deferred payment agreement lets the council pay part of the fees and recover the amount later, usually when the home is sold or from the estate. Interest and administration charges can apply.
• The NHS advises not selling a home or giving up a tenancy before the council has made its decision.

Benefits

• Attendance Allowance can usually continue if your parent pays all their own care home fees. GOV.UK says you cannot usually get it if the council pays for your care; in practice it stops 28 days after council funding starts.
• Pension Credit may help if your parent has a low income; ask for a benefits check.
• NHS-funded nursing care: in a nursing home in England, the NHS pays a weekly contribution towards the nursing element if your parent needs registered nursing care but is not eligible for Continuing Healthcare.

This is general information. For decisions about selling a home or investing to pay for care, speak to a regulated independent financial adviser who specialises in later-life care.

Step 3: Choose and check the home

• Read the latest inspection report: Care Quality Commission (England), Care Inspectorate (Scotland), Care Inspectorate Wales or RQIA (Northern Ireland). Look at the detail on safety, staffing and leadership, not only the headline rating.
• Visit at least twice, including once at a mealtime.
• Ask about staffing by day and at night, and how often staff change.
• Ask what the fee includes and what costs extra, such as hairdressing, chiropody and trips.
• Take the contract away to read. Check fee increases, notice periods, charges after death and whether your parent can stay if their money runs out.

Step 4: Put legal authority in place

• Lasting powers of attorney. In England and Wales there are two types: property and financial affairs, and health and welfare. Your parent must have mental capacity to make them, and they must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian before they can be used. See GOV.UK's guide to lasting power of attorney. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own systems.
• If your parent can no longer decide, and there is no attorney, someone may need to apply to the Court of Protection to become a deputy for money matters. Decisions about where your parent lives must be made in their best interests.
• Sign the contract in the right capacity. If you sign as attorney, say so, so you do not become personally liable for the fees.
• Find the will and note where it is kept.
• Talk about future care wishes, such as preferences about hospital admission or resuscitation, and share any written plans with the home.

Step 5: Hand over health information

• Check whether your parent needs to register with a new GP near the home. The home can usually help.
• Write an up-to-date list of medicines, doses and allergies.
• Arrange for prescriptions to transfer so there is no gap in supply.
• Share medical history, mobility, continence, diet and communication needs with the home.
• Pass on details of upcoming hospital appointments and ask how transport and escorts will work.
• Make sure glasses, hearing aids, dentures and walking aids go with your parent, labelled.

Step 6: Sort the paperwork and the empty home

• Tell organisations about the move: bank, pension providers, DWP (for State Pension and any benefits), HMRC if relevant, insurers and the GP.
• Redirect the post and cancel subscriptions that are no longer needed.
• Council tax: in England, a home that stays empty because the owner has moved into a care home does not get a council tax bill for as long as it stays empty, according to GOV.UK's guidance on empty properties. Apply to the council; rules differ elsewhere in the UK.
• Insurance: tell the home insurer the property is unoccupied, as many policies have conditions for empty homes.
• Utilities: take meter readings, and consider whether heating needs to stay on low to prevent frozen pipes.
• Security: remove valuables and important documents and store them safely.
• Keep one folder with the contract, assessments, powers of attorney, medical details and contacts.

Step 7: Pack for comfort

• Label all clothing; laundry mix-ups are common.
• Choose clothes that are comfortable, easy to put on and machine washable.
• Bring familiar things: photos, a favourite chair or blanket, a clock, a radio, music.
• Ask what furniture the home allows and whether electrical items need safety checks.
• Leave valuable jewellery and large amounts of cash at home, or ask how the home stores valuables.

Step 8: Help your parent settle

• Be honest with your parent about the move, in a way that respects their dignity and understanding.
• Give staff a short "about me" note: routines, likes, dislikes, what helps when they are upset.
• Agree how staff will keep you updated in the first weeks.
• Expect an adjustment period. Tell the manager early about anything that worries you.
• Look after yourself. Guilt and grief are common; the council can offer a carer's assessment, and charities such as Carers UK and Age UK offer support.

Frequently asked questions

Will my parent have to sell their home?

Not necessarily. The home is ignored if a partner or certain relatives still live there, and for the first 12 weeks of a permanent placement. After that, a deferred payment agreement can let the fees be paid from the home's value later, so it need not be sold straight away.

What happens if my parent's money runs out?

Contact the council before capital falls to the upper limit so it can carry out a financial assessment. The council will pay up to the amount it has agreed for the placement, so if the home costs more, someone may need to pay a top-up.

Do I need power of attorney before the move?

It is not required to arrange the move, but it makes managing your parent's money and signing the contract much easier. If your parent has already lost capacity, you may need to apply to the Court of Protection.

Does Attendance Allowance stop in a care home?

It can usually continue if your parent pays all their own care home fees. It normally stops after 28 days if the council helps pay for the care.

Should council tax still be paid on my parent's empty home?

In England, a home left empty because the owner has moved into a care home is exempt from council tax while it stays empty. Apply to the council and tell it when the property is sold or reoccupied.

Key takeaways

• Start with a free council needs assessment and, for complex health needs, NHS Continuing Healthcare screening.
• Understand the means test, the 12-week property disregard and deferred payments before selling anything.
• Check inspection reports, visit more than once and read the contract carefully.
• Put lasting powers of attorney in place while your parent has capacity.
• Hand over medicines and health information, and deal with council tax, insurance and post for the empty home.
• Plan the first weeks and look after yourself too.