It can often be a huge decision for carers, friends and family to opt for specialist residential care, but once that decision is made, choosing the right care home can be a similarly significant decision.
Following a care needs assessment, which identifies the particular needs that a person has, the next step is to choose the right home, and there are three major steps to making this choice.
Ensure Any Home Meets Both Care Needs And Personal Preferences
A core principle of person-centred care is that the person receiving care should be involved in any decision-making processes as much as possible, and ensuring they understand what is involved is key to ensuring they are happy in their new home.
In particular, whilst care needs can be identified by a parent, guardian or carer who sees them every day, preferences are far more personal and are focused on the type of place they would ideally want to live.
This includes how much independence they would like, the type of daily routine they have and who they would like to meet and interact with.
Finally, ask yourself how important it is to stay in your local area, and if you are willing to look further away in order to find somewhere that can help with specific complex care needs.
Research Homes And Arrange Visits
Every care home will be independently evaluated by regulatory bodies such as the Care Quality Commission, and they can provide a good basis for determining whether a home can meet the needs of your loved one.
As well as this, it is important to research which facilities are available and if they meet your loved one’s sensory and mobility needs.
We are proud of our community engagement and activities, and any residential home should be part of the community as well.
Finally, book a visit and ask staff and residents about how they find the home, what a typical day looks like, how care plans are managed and what happens during an emergency.