Choosing a care home for an elderly parent is a significant and often emotional decision that many carers will face. If your parent doesn’t qualify for financial assistance,then you might be tasked with finding and organising an appropriate care service for them.
Remember once a poorly parent in need of care is resident, it is very hard to move elsewhere. The disruption, shortages etc make this very difficult.
Start by using the relevant inspection directory to create a list of potential “homes” in your chosen area then consider the following five factors to help you make your choice.
1. Location and comfort
- Consider location carefully – whilst a parent might want to stay local for friends, you will need to visit frequently and long commutes can be stressful.
- Visit at random and unscheduled times to get a real sense of the service – not the intentionally presented version
- Don’t judge at face value – beautiful bedding and whitewashed walls do not always guarantee loving care
- Think about the future – if your parent is likely to need nursing care or dementia care will this be available on site or will a major transfer elsewhere be necessary?
- Consider local GP services – it is likely that your parent will need GP services and some are better than others.
2. Quality of care
- Check the regulators inspection report to get a feel for the level of quality the care home provides. Very few are considered excellent but many are rated as good. Think carefully about services that are rated as “requires improvement” or are “inadequate”.
- Wherever possible get “word of mouth” feedback – it is invaluable. Be wary of published client feedback. The majority of care homes are private businesses and will not encourage negative publicity.
- Be prepared to lower your expectations – there is a shortage of options and you might not be able to get what you would ideally prefer.
4. Care home staff
- Ask about staff levels, turnover and training. High turnover is an indicator of a problem provider and will not be pleasant for your parent – continuity can be important. Adequate staffing levels are vital for safety purposes and training arrangements can help indicate the quality of care being provided.
- Ask about any recent or expected changes in the management/ownership. These changes can have an important bearing on the quality of service which is provided and change can be disruptive.
- Remember “safeguarding” can be an issue in any institutional setting. Be alert to any potential safety issues and regularly ask your parent “Do you feel safe?”
5. Price and payments
- Ask about “hidden” costs such as extras for toiletries, phone calls, trips, etc. and how price hikes will be managed for the duration
