Care homes in Portsmouth

Everyone should have the chance to live independently and safely in Portsmouth.

As much as possible, we want people to be able to stay in their own homes. But there may come a time where you want to consider moving into a care home or supported housing, if:

• you are finding daily tasks an increasing struggle, such as cooking, cleaning, washing, dressing, taking your medication etc.
• there are concerns for your safety if you continue to live in your current home
• you’ve had a care needs assessment and a care home has been recommended

This page has information about care homes in Portsmouth. You may also wish to consider sheltered housing or extra care, which offer you the chance to live independently in your own flat but with assistance with daily tasks.

Care homes provide accommodation and personal care for people who need extra support in their daily lives.

There are two kinds of care homes:

• residential care homes
• nursing homes

Both provide care and support 24 hours-a-day. The main difference is that a nursing home is able to provide a higher level of care, with a qualified nurse on hand to provide medical care.

If you would like support from the council with moving to a care home you will need a care needs assessment. This will help identify what kind of support you may need.

You can request an assessment from adult social care by calling our helpdesk on 023 9268 0810. If you already have a social care worker, they will be able to advise whether a care home is suitable for your needs and help you choose one that’s right for you.

You also have the option to organise and fund a care home placement for yourself.

You can find a directory of all the residential care homes and nursing homes in Portsmouth on the HIVE Portsmouth website. For care homes outside of the city you can view the local council page for that area, such as Hampshire care homes or West Sussex care homes.

There are three council-run care homes in the city:

Shearwater

Shearwater is a 60-bed residential care home for older people with dementia. Shearwater has three floors, two for accommodation and one for activities. There is also a large enclosed rear garden. Find out more about Shearwater.

Russets Short Breaks Service

Russets is a care home without nursing care, providing residential care and short breaks for up to 17 adults with disabilities. Find out more about Russets.

Harry Sotnick House

Harry Sotnick House is a 46-bed dementia and nursing home for older people just off St Mary’s Road. It prides itself on offering a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities for residents. Find out more about Harry Sotnick House.

If your care needs assessment shows that you have eligible needs, you will then have a financial assessment to check if you can get any funding towards the cost of your care.

If you have previously had a financial assessment for home care, you may need to be re-assessed for residential care.

You can find out more on our paying for your social care page.

We follow the government guidance around infection prevention control:

• GOV.UK: infection prevention and control for adult social care
• GOV.UK: coronavirus testing for adult social care services