Care homes and nursing homes (or care homes with nursing) are not the same thing. Although both describe residential facilities offering accommodation, meals, personal support and around-the-clock staff supervision, there are significant differences in the level of care provided. As well as care assistants and other ancillary staff, nursing homes have registered nurses on duty 24 hours a day. This means that they’re able to safely care for people with complex and advanced diseases needing regular nursing assistance. As the name suggests, a nursing care plan is a document outlining a strategy for providing appropriate care to someone. There are a couple of different types of care plan – either drawn up by a hospital team, social services team or care provider. It’s a record of your preferences, your abilities, equipment you might need in care, nutritional and medical requirements, next of kin, points of contact if you have questions, information on the care itself and your personal budget (the amount allocated to you weekly for your care by the local authority).