Choosing a care home for your elderly loved one can be extremely daunting.
Not only do you want to ensure your family member is moving into a safe environment with well-trained staff, but you also want to make sure that they have all of the home comforts they enjoy available and that they feel happy.
With this in mind, Stewart Mcginn, Managing Director at Baycroft Care Homes outlines a number of areas to consider when choosing the right care home for your loved one.
Staff members
The members of staff at the home are going to become the primary caregivers to your loved one, so it’s important you feel comfortable and trusting towards them. Ask about the carer-to-resident ratio and whether there is a manager available at all times. Do the staff seem friendly and welcoming not just to you visiting, but to the residents living there currently? What qualifications do staff have? Are staff trained in dealing with residents that have dementia? Getting a feel for the people that work there and their experience is a great way to determine if it’s the right environment for your family member.
Meals and timings
Food is an important part of our lives and meal times should be something that your loved one looks forward to. When looking at care homes, you should ask to look at a sample menu, question how often the menu changes, whether snacks are available, and can residents have their own snacks and drinks in their room that they can access at any time of day?
The visitation policy
You want to choose a care home that has the right type of visitation policy for you and your loved one. For example, if you or several different family members want to visit frequently, you’ll want to check that the care home allows this. You might want to also consider whether visitors are allowed to visit during meal times, whether children are allowed to visit, and rules around whether you could stay overnight if your loved one is feeling lonely.
Well-maintained premises
From the standard and size of their rooms to the comfort of shared living spaces, you want to choose a care home that has a homely and welcoming environment. Cleanliness should be expected from every care home, so try to think about more in-depth elements like are the chairs comfortable, is the TV in the shared living room large enough.
Outside area or garden accessible for residents
Whether your loved one is green-fingered or simply likes to enjoy sitting outside in the fresh air, choosing a care home with a garden is always recommended. If your loved one enjoys gardening, try to find a care home that allows them to fulfil their passion for gardening, or that has a vegetable patch. Alternatively, if your loved one just enjoys soaking up some sun in the summer, make sure that there is a nice seating area for them to relax.
Entertainment facilities
Entertainment is a significant area that you should consider when choosing the right care home, as having enough going on to fill your loved one’s day is essential. This can include designated areas like TV rooms or a quieter space like a reading room with books or newspapers available. Many care homes also offer an activity schedule that can include anything from arts and crafts, music lessons, board games and quizzes, to film nights, aerobics, bingo and gardening.
