Guides
Straight answers on care in Scotland
A free, searchable library written for Scotland rather than England, and kept free of jargon. Search a question, or browse by topic.
23 guides/Free to read/Reviewed July 2026
23 guides
Popular
Paying for careHow much does a care home cost in Scotland?Real weekly figures, the capital limits, Free Personal and Nursing Care, and two worked examples showing what a family pays in practice.FundingFees and top-ups9 minRead the guide
Choosing a homeHow to choose a care homeHow to shortlist, how to read an inspection report, what to notice on a visit, and 30 questions worth asking before you commit.Visiting and comparingInspections11 minRead the guide
Paying for careFree Personal and Nursing Care explainedScotland's most misunderstood benefit. What the £260.30 and £117.10 weekly contributions cover, who is eligible, how to apply, and what families still have to fund.FundingNursing care8 minRead the guide
Paying for careCare home top-up fees: what families need to knowThird-party top-ups explained plainly: what the extra actually buys, when a council can ask for one, who can pay it, and how the written agreement should work.Fees and top-upsFunding7 minRead the guide
Paying for careAttendance Allowance in Scotland and Pension Age Disability PaymentAttendance Allowance has been replaced in Scotland by Pension Age Disability Payment: £76.70 or £114.60 a week, not means-tested. What it pays, how to claim, and the care home rules.BenefitsFunding8 minRead the guide
Choosing a homeTypes of care explainedEvery option compared in one place: home care, sheltered housing and assisted living through to residential, nursing, dementia, respite and palliative care, with tables showing cost, staffing and who each one suits.Nursing careDementia11 minRead the guide
Moving inMoving into a care home: what actually happensHow to raise the subject, what the pre-admission assessment involves, what to bring, what the first day and first month feel like, and how families settle in too.Moving dayDaily life9 minRead the guide
Moving inHospital discharge into a care homeWhat happens between a hospital ward and a care home place: discharge planning, delayed discharge, choosing well at speed, and a checklist for the day itself.Hospital dischargeMoving day8 minRead the guide
Moving inCare home contracts explained: a guide for familiesA plain-English walk through the Scottish residency agreement: signing under a Power of Attorney or guardianship, what the weekly fee covers, how fee reviews work, and what we put in writing before you commit.Legal and paperworkFees and top-ups9 minRead the guide
Living well in careMusic therapy for dementia: what families and carers need to knowThe difference between clinical music therapy and a singalong, what the research really shows, how to build a personalised playlist safely, and the routes to accredited provision in Scotland.DementiaDaily life11 minRead the guide
Living well in carePerson-centred care in a Scottish care home: what it really meansThe Health and Social Care Standards in plain English, what person-centred care looks like on an ordinary Tuesday, what your personal plan must contain, and how to test a home on it before you choose.Daily lifeDementia10 minRead the guide
Paying for carePower of Attorney in Scotland: a family guideContinuing versus welfare powers, what registration with the Office of the Public Guardian costs and how long it takes, when powers actually come into force, and the guardianship route if capacity has already gone.Legal and paperworkFunding9 minRead the guide
Beyond the guides
When reading turns into looking, these are the pages families use next.
- Our care homesThirty homes across Scotland, with fees, grades and photographs.
- Types of care we provideResidential, nursing, dementia, respite and palliative care explained.
- Funding adviceWhat the council pays, what you pay, and the current Scottish rates.
- Talk to someoneA conversation with a home manager, with no obligation attached.
Still deciding
Talk it through with someone who knows
Our home managers speak with families every day, most of them long before anyone is ready to move. There is no obligation and no sales pitch.