A nursing home is a care home that also provides care from qualified nurses, 24 hours a day. A residential care home gives personal care, such as help with washing, dressing, meals and medication, with no nurses on the staff. In England the regulator’s register says which one a home is; in Scotland it does not.
What each one provides
Residential care homes provide a room, meals and personal care: help getting up and dressed, washing, going to the toilet, eating, and taking medicines. Staff are care workers, and there is someone on duty day and night.
Nursing homes provide all of that plus nursing care from registered nurses, who are on duty around the clock. The NHS describes them as providing personal care as well as 24-hour care from qualified nurses.
Both kinds can care for people with dementia, and the NHS says both should have staff trained in dementia care.
How England’s register shows the difference
Every care home in England registers with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The CQC’s directory lists each home as a nursing home, a residential home, or both. Of the 14,855 homes in England in our directory, 4,487 are registered to provide nursing care, either alone or alongside residential care.
Go by the registration. A home called “Nursing Home” may have stopped providing nursing years ago, and a home with no such word in its name may be registered for it. You can filter for nursing homes or residential homes by area.
Who needs which
The needs assessment decides. In England the council carries it out; in Scotland, the health and social care partnership. If the assessment shows needs that only a registered nurse can meet, a nursing home is the right place. If the person needs help with daily living but no nursing, a residential home is.
In England, the NHS also assesses whether someone in a nursing home needs care from a registered nurse, because that decides whether it pays towards the nursing. Ask for the outcome in writing, as it is the clearest statement of which kind of home the person needs.
Needs change. A home registered for both residential and nursing care can sometimes move a resident onto nursing care without a change of address, which is worth asking about at the first visit.
What it means for the cost
Nursing homes usually charge more, because they employ registered nurses on every shift. Part of that is met by public money.
- England: NHS-funded nursing care pays £267.68 a week (standard rate from 1 April 2026, 2026-27) straight to the nursing home, for residents who do not qualify for NHS continuing healthcare but are assessed as needing care from a registered nurse. It is the same rate across England.
- Scotland: the council pays a free nursing care payment of £117.10 a week to care home residents assessed as needing nursing care, on top of the free personal care payment of £260.30 a week (both from 1 April 2026).
Someone whose needs are mainly health needs may qualify in England for NHS continuing healthcare, which pays the whole fee. Our guide to paying for a care home explains how that is assessed.
Why Scotland’s register does not split them
Scottish law has one category. The Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 defines a care home service as accommodation provided together with nursing, personal care or personal support. A home that employs nurses and one that does not are both registered as care home services with the Care Inspectorate.
The Care Inspectorate’s public datastore records each home’s main area of care (older people, for example) and its client groups, but not whether it provides nursing. So on this site, Scottish homes are not labelled nursing or residential. The gap is in the published record, and it tells you nothing about the home.
If you need nursing care in Scotland, ask each home directly whether it has registered nurses on duty day and night, and check with the council that the free nursing care payment will be made.
Common questions
What is the difference between a nursing home and a care home?
A nursing home is a care home that also provides care from qualified nurses, around the clock. A residential care home provides personal care, such as help with washing, dressing, meals and medication, but no nursing. In England the CQC’s directory shows which a home is registered for, and some homes are registered for both.
Is a nursing home more expensive than a residential home?
Usually, because it employs registered nurses. In England the NHS pays £267.68 a week (2026-27) straight to the home for residents assessed as needing nursing care, which offsets part of that. In Scotland the council pays £117.10 a week for nursing care on top of the £260.30 personal care payment.
Can someone move from a residential home to a nursing home?
Yes. If needs change, the home should ask for a review, and a reassessment by the council or NHS may show that nursing care is now needed. A home registered for both residential and nursing care can sometimes make the change without a move, which is worth asking about at the start.
Why does the Scottish register not say whether a home provides nursing?
Scottish law registers every one of them as a care home service, defined as accommodation with nursing, personal care or personal support. The Care Inspectorate’s public datastore records each home’s main area of care and client groups, with no field for nursing. Ask a Scottish home directly whether it employs registered nurses.
Sources
Every figure and rule in this guide comes from these pages. The date is when we last read each one.
- NHS: NHS-funded nursing care (checked 13 October 2026)
- NHS: NHS continuing healthcare (checked 13 October 2026)
- NHS: Dementia and care homes (reviewed 2 January 2026) (checked 13 October 2026)
- Scottish Government: Circular CCD 1/2026, Charging for Residential Accommodation Guidance (13 May 2026) (checked 13 October 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk: Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010, schedule 12 (checked 13 October 2026)
- Department of Health and Social Care: Care and support statutory guidance (updated 22 July 2025), chapters 8 and 9 and annexes A, B and F (checked 13 October 2026)