Care Homes
Use this guide to find information resources about care homes, nursing homes and residential care for older people including books, reports and journal articles.
Last updated:
17/04/2025
Key Resources
RCN: Care home journey online resource
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This comprehensive resource supports nursing care in older peoples care homes. It follows a resident's journey from pre admission to end of life. The role of nursing staff in supporting the resident and their family is explored.
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Royal College of Nursing (no date) Statutory compliance in care homes: a practical guide for managers.
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As a registered care home manager, you have a responsibility to manage health and safety in the workplace to prevent employees, agency staff, residents and others from injury and ill health. Premises and building management may form part of your responsibilities.
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Royal College of Nursing (2023) Caring for older people: the essential role of the care home nurse. London: RCN. 
Royal College of Nursing (2022) Older people in care homes: sex, sexuality and intimate relationships. London: RCN.
Royal College of Nursing: Moving and handling (advice guide).
Royal College of Nursing Scotland (2019) Registered nurses in care homes: meeting clinical need. London: RCN.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2017) Moving between hospital and home, including care homes: a quick guide for registered managers of care homes and home care.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2015) Transition between inpatient hospital settings and community or care home settings for adults with social care needs. NG27.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2014) Managing medicines in care homes. Social care guideline SC1.
Department of Health and University of Leeds (2016) Administration of medicines in care homes (with nursing) for older people by care assistants. Evidence-based guidance for care home providers. London: DH.
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Please check that guidance is applicable for your country.
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Prieto J, Wilson J, Tingle A, Cooper E, Handley M, Malone J R, Bostock J and Loveday H (2025) Preventing urinary tract infection in older people living in care homes: the ‘StOP UTI’ realist synthesis, BMJ Quality and Safety, 34(3), pp. 178–189.
NIHR Evidence (2021) Care homes: How can we improve the quality of care?
NIHR (2020) Isolation and loneliness in people with sight loss in care homes. London: NIHR.
Queens Nursing Institute (2021) Standards of education and practice for nurses new to care home nursing. London: QNI.
Queens Nursing Institute (2018) Transition to care home nursing. London, QNI.
The Queen's Institute of Community Nursing: Care home nurses.
Social Care Institute for Excellence (2019) Person-centred care for older people in care homes. London: SCIE.
Social Care Institute for Excellence and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2020) Promoting positive mental wellbeing for older people: a quick guide for registered managers of care homes. London: NICE/SCIE.
Books
Bowman C, Mulley G, Boyd M and Stowe S (2015) The care home handbook. Chichester: Wiley Blackwell.
Baker C (2017) Visiting the memory café and other dementia care activities: evidence-based interventions for care homes. London: Jessica Kingsley.
Carmody S, Forster S and Hayes N (2017) Nursing older people: a guide to practice in care homes. London: Routledge.
Caspi E (2021) Understanding and preventing harmful interactions between residents with dementia. Chicago: Health Professions Press.
Cunningham S and Moore T (2021) Nursing skills in supporting mobility. London: Routledge.
Eliopoulos C (2018) Essentials for the long-term care nurse: a guide for nurses in nursing homes and assisted living settings. New York: Springer.
Eliopoulos C (2015) Fast facts for the long-term care nurse: what nursing home and assisted living nurses need to know in nutshell. New York: Springer.
Johnston T R (2020) Welcoming LGBT residents: a practical guide for senior living staff. Milton Keynes: Routledge.
Ross F, Harris R G, Fitzpatrick J, Abley C and Redfern S J (2024) Redfern's nursing older people. 5th edn. Edinburgh: Elsevier.
Ruszala S (2015) Moving and handling in the community and residential care. Towcester: National Back Exchange.
Schussler S (2017) Dementia in nursing homes. Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Book subject searches
Use these links to see details of books the RCN libraries hold on each topic.
Journal articles
Use these links for details of journal articles on each topic.
Journals
Journals of interest for care homes. Use these links to see details of availability.
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Caroline Lynch
Editor of this guide
RCN Library and Museum
Upcoming events relating to this subject guide
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29 Sep 2025
Online
Advance Care Planning, Future Care Planning
Advance Care Planning (ACP) is essential to living well, yet too often it’s left until it’s too late. This session brings together leading voices in palliative care to explore how we can shift from reactive to proactive care by embedding future care planning into everyday practice.
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30 Sep 2025
Merthyr Tydfil
RCN Wales Roundtable for the Independent Sector - Strengthening Palliative Care across Independent Health and Social Care
Join RCN Wales at Hallmark Greenhill Manor, South East Wales, for an in-person roundtable discussion event, exploring the role of the independent sector in delivering high-quality, person-centred end-of-life care, and the importance of collaboration between nurses, support workers, families, and wider health teams. This event is open to both RCN members and non-members who work in Wales in the Independent Health and Social Care sector.
Page last updated - 17/04/2025
