Choosing a care home; what you need to know
The process of choosing a care home is often an emotional and complex process. The decision to put your loved one into a home is likely to have left you worried about how the change may affect them.
Alongside this, you are also facing the decision of which home you should choose, without knowing what criteria to look out for.
Time is also a pressure felt when choosing a care home, as there is often a pressing need to get your loved one into care. This leaves you with unanswered questions and uncertainty of what you should look for when choosing a home.
At The Orders of St John Care Trust, we know that the decision starts online by you researching care providers or homes that may have been suggested to you by family or friends. The next step usually involves you shortlisting two or three homes to visit from those discovered in your research. If your loved one is receiving hospital treatment, a social worker is normally assigned to your family and will usually provide a list of homes to aid your decision.
To assist families who may feel daunted, we have created a 'Choosing a Care Home checklist' which helps prepare you for your visits to your shortlisted homes.
The checklist will also prompt key questions to ask while you are looking around, they may help you to determine the following:
- Is the location suitable?
- What types of care and facilities are provided within the home?
- What sort of activities and events are available for residents to be involved with?
- What food and nutrition is available in the home?
- What access is there to healthcare professionals and other employees in the home?
You can view a copy of our permanent and short term resident's contracts by clicking the links below.