The Big Questions
What makes a really good care home, one good enough to move a loved one into? Here’s how we think you should approach selecting the best care home.
The philosophy matters
The emphasis must be on providing person-centred care within a home environment. Residents and visitors should feel at home and are well cared for. Staff should be highly trained and experienced. This ensures a wide and varied skill base that compliments the needs of residents. Each person’s emotional and physical well being must be met with dignity, respect and choice within all areas of daily life. All residents should feel valued in whatever they do or say.
Ensure the care home focuses on how the residents feel. Do they feel secure, comfortable, feel at home? Do the care staff listen and act upon their needs? The care environment must aim for all residents to feel as if they’re in their own home.
It is also essential the resident must be ready to leave, this ensures the transition ‘from home – to care home’ is a smooth one. Do not feel pressured to join!
The right environment
Creating a ‘day-to-day’ environment is essential. Services such as hairdressing, podiatry, manicures, reflexology, religious and seasonal activities should be available. Meaningful occupation is a major component of life, therefore ensure residents engage in the small tasks connected to their past jobs and domestic activities that are stored deep in memory.
Look for a personalised experience. A great care home should provide individually prepared foods, comfortable and individually tailored rooms, with indoor and outdoor facilities. Residents should be encouraged to fill their days with activities they enjoy such as; quiz afternoons, gardening, knitting, flower arranging, sing-alongs, baking, exercise sessions, darts, cards and skittles.
How to make the right choice?
Who decides whether the care home for the elderly is right or not; the resident themselves, or the relative(s) who make the arrangements?
For those looking for the best Care home, this is a difficult question. The impressive facade, comprehensive facilities, expensive fixtures and fittings will undoubtedly impress the decision makers (especially if responsible for paying the bill). However, the most important factor is ultimately the resident’s preference. They may be impressed by different factors; which ironically, could be nothing of importance to the relative(s).
