There may come a time when your loved one is unable to continue safely living in their home and that means taking the often difficult but necessary decision to find a suitable place where they can get all the right care and attention they deserve and need.
It is always an emotionally challenging scenario as you seek to find the right option and surroundings but you need to be focused and diligent as well as compassionate if your loved one is going to get the best possible care you can find.
Details of quality care found here might provide some inspiration and ideas as to what sort of care and safety features you need to look out for and here are some pointers on how to make the right choice for your loved one.
Always pay a personal visit
You can do lots of research over the internet and talk to friends and family to see if they can recommend a care home that they have heard good reports about.
Irrespective of how good the reviews are that you read or hear about it is essential that you arrange to visit the care home so that you can see how it is run and get a feel for how happy and cared for the existing residents appear to be.
A good tip would be to arrange a visit during mealtime so that you can have some food in the restaurant area with your loved one.
This will give you a great opportunity to see how happy the residents are and it also allows you a great chance to see how the food looks and tastes.
The quality of the catering is integral to the wellbeing and comfort of your loved one and that is why you need to check it out personally if you can.
Your loved one needs to be respected
In an ideal world, you would hope that your loved one receives the same level of care and respect that you would give then if you were able to look after them as their carer.
When you pay a visit, another key observation should be to see how staff interact with the residents.
Ideally, what you want to witness is a compassionate and friendly approach that involves addressing the resident by their name and giving them the respect they deserve.
Freedom of movement
You will want your loved one to enjoy a stimulating and varied daily routine that encourages them to socialize and keep their mind and body as active as possible.
If you see that everyone is in their rooms and there does not seem to be a schedule of regular activities that is not really a good sign. It is much better to see residents enjoying each other’s company and seemingly engaged with the activities that have been scheduled for the day.
Location is important
Despite the fact that your loved one is moving away from their home into a care facility you will want to be able to visit them frequently.
This why the location of the care home can be so important. It doesn’t make sense to choose the nearest care home based on location alone, but it is a factor that should be influential in your decision-making process.
Size matters
You know your loved one’s personality and if they are a shy or introverted person who likes their own personal space it might not be the best move to arrange for them to stay at a large care home with lots of residents.
The same applies if they are sociable and outgoing. If that is their personality you will want to find a home that gives them plenty of chances to socialize and enjoy the company of others.
Aim to try and match the size and setup of a care home to the personality and preferences of your loved one.
Meeting their healthcare needs
It would be wrong to assume that every care home offers the same level of healthcare and medical attention and that is why you should ask the questions that matter in this respect.
Talk to the care home provider to confirm that they have the facilities and capability to meet your loved ones current and future medical needs as you don’t want to have to move them again to a new facility at a later date if you can help it, as they would be very unsettling for your loved one.
Continuity of care is what you are looking to achieve for your loved one.
Ask about the care staff
The quality and competency of the care staff are absolutely integral to the wellbeing of your loved one so there is nothing wrong with asking some searching questions in order to satisfy yourself that they are up to the desired standard.
When you pay a visit to the home as part of your evaluation process you should try to observe and assess their attitude as well as their professionalism and approachability.
There are also some key questions that you should ask the care home at the time of your visit.
Ask whether there is always a licensed nurse in attendance to deal with a medical emergency and oversee the administering of any regular medications. Also confirm whether staff retention levels are acceptable, as a high turnover of care staff is something to be cautious about.
Trust your instincts
Although it would be clearly inadvisable to select a care home purely on gut instinct it doesn’t do any harm to pay attention to your instincts when it comes to deciding if a particular home is going to be right for your loved one.
If you feel that something isn’t right when you pay a visit or you don’t get a good feel about certain aspects of the setup, that should be the catalyst for making further checks and seeking out an alternative home if you are not happy.
It is never easy making such a momentous decision but if you go through some of these checks it should help you find a care home that gives your loved one the support and help that they need to live a happy life in their new surroundings.
