Finding a care home that is the perfect fit for your loved one can be a daunting task. We aim to make that decision easier with this list of the top things that you should be looking for when choosing a care home.
Find Out What Your Loved One Wants
This may not always be possible when the time for external care is needed, but if it is then it can be extremely useful to find out your loved one’s priorities when it comes to a residential care home. Maybe they value their privacy? Or perhaps delicious food is one of their prime considerations? Having this information can help you make a choice that will keep your loved one happy.
Understand What Type of Care Your Loved One Needs
Different care homes offer different types of care. For example, some care homes are unable to take residents with dementia; however, at Bernash we have 24-hour nurses which means we are a comfortable and understanding home offering dementia care.
Maybe your loved one doesn’t require full time care? In this case, care homes like Bernash also offer day care and respite care services.
Narrow Down Your Location
Choosing a care home in a location near to yourself and the other friends and family of your loved one means that visiting is easier. A visit from a loved one can often be a highlight of the day for many of our residents so anything that can help with increased regularity of visits will be greatly beneficial to your loved one’s happiness and well-being.
Speak to the Carers
Speaking to the carers at your care home options can also help with your decision making. You can get a good understanding of the home from a visit and a chat to the carers. Make sure to look out for knowledgeable carers with an obvious passion for their job and for the quality of life of the home’s residents.
Social Media
Social media accounts can be a good reflection of the home and offer an insight on its day to day running, as well as activities which the home may have on offer for your loved one to join in with.
You can see everything our residents get up to and get a real feel for the spirit of our home from our regularly updated Facebook account.
Check Official Care Home Ratings
The CQC (Care Quality Commission) is England’s leading independent regulator for health and social care. If you are interested in finding out more about potential care homes, then reviewing their CQC report can help.
The CQC inspections centre around 5 main standards, these are for ensuring that the care provided is safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. These inspections are carried out unannounced to get the best idea of the running of the home. The inspections involve visual checks of the premises, speaking to staff, residents and relatives. It also involves reviewing relevant paperwork and risk assessments to assess whether or not the right level of care is provided.
At Bernash Care Home we are proud to be rated good by the CQC, you can find our report details here.
Find Out Activities and Social Options the Home Provides
It is important that the care home that you choose for your loved one not only offers the base level of care, but also takes the mental health and well-being of its residents into consideration. You should look for somewhere that has activities, beyond the common daily sig song, to keep your loved one mentally stimulated and as physically active as is safe to do so.
At Bernash we understand the importance of recreation for our residents and invest a lot of time into putting together exciting activities for our residents to join in with. We have dedicated events coordinators who run daily activities that residents can join in with if they wish. We also value the input of our residents; if someone has a hobby they’d like to share, or something they would like to try then we do our utmost to make that happen.
It’s only natural that when you’re choosing a care home for your loved one that you will want to make the best choice possible. Our tips above can help you to make an informed decision on the best and most comfortable home to suit your loved one. If you have any questions or concerns then our friendly team is always on hand to help, just get in touch!