The first dedicated self-service letting agency that allows care home providers to fully manage room availability is to be launched in Bristol.
Care Homes Now will provide an advertising platform for owners and managers of the 17,000 plus care homes across England. It will also offer a service for anyone researching room availability. 
The site, which launches next month, is the brainchild of Clare Fraser of Filton, pictured, who said: “I have personal experience of dealing with the care system and I know what a tortuous and stressful process it can be – anything aimed at making the process easier is to be welcomed.
“In the current financial climate we know that up to 20% of a care home’s profit can be lost when the last few rooms are unoccupied.
“We also understand that it can be a struggle to fill them, so we’ve designed a site that is specifically tailored for care providers who need to fill these spaces.
“We also recognise the need to find suitable accommodation at sometimes very short notice, so Care Homes Now will be a quick and easy way to find up-to-date accommodation for families, friends and the NHS looking for good quality care for loved ones within their chosen location.
“There are thousands of brilliant, caring establishments out there, working around the clock, every day of every week, delivering superb care and showing huge commitment to residents and their family members – they just need to be found quickly and easily.”
Recommendations can also be left on the site to help others make a more informed decision, although, Clare says, nothing should ever take the place of visiting the care home itself. “Our website is just one of the first stepping-stones to help along the way. This is often an emotional time for all involved and it is definitely not a ‘one size fits all’.
“Our aim is to be the go-to website, providing the latest room availability across the whole of the UK. The site has a clean, modern feel and is designed for today’s technology, being fully responsive to all mobile devices.”
The site – www.carehomesnow.com – is offering a three-month free trial to all care homes in England and Clare has also pledged to donate 5% of the site’s profits each year to charities for the elderly.
