Deciding on whether you or a loved one requires the benefits of a residential care home is often a very difficult and emotional decision. Some feel that it will take away their independence and, as a carer of a loved one, there can be a feeling of guilt when realising that you are no longer able to provide the level of care for those that you love, maybe due to the increasing demands of a debilitating illness such as Alzheimers, but it is still very difficult to let go. We all like to remember someone as they were and it is hard to accept that they might have changed. But, choosing the right care home simply means you are acting in the best interests for yourself or your loved ones.
Often there is also a general misconception that care homes are institutionalised and impersonal with no real warmth or ‘homely’ feel. Of course, there are many options to you before choosing a care home, be that sheltered housing, home care or downsizing and living with relatives and so forth. Whilst each of these options have their own merits, you have to ask, will your care needs be attended to by professional, trained carers every hour of every day, three hundred and sixty five days a year? Would these options also provide a safe, social environment for you to be part of (should you be so inclined) as well as, to name just a handful of examples – providing daily activities, tailored care plans, freshly cooked meals, cleaning and laundry? If the answer is yes, at what cost would you expect such a level of care?
Your first thought is probably “how do I find a care home near me?”. Clearly, the most obvious answer in this day and age is the internet. A Google search (or whichever your search engine of choice maybe) will quickly return hundreds of results, but how do you know which is the best care home?
The true way to find an outstanding care home is to not just believe what the care provider may purport to, but to review the latest Care Quality Commission report of the home to see what they say. The CQC are the registered governing body for care provision in the UK and they inspect all registered care homes in the country to verify what care is delivered and, more importantly, how good that care actually is. They have differing levels of quality, ranging from needing improvement to the greatest achievement, Outstanding. For a care home to achieve such a level is a huge feat and, at the time of writing, only around 300 care homes in the UK have done so (out of a total of 15,000)! An example of an outstanding care home report can be found by following this link.
Once you have found the care home you are looking for, the next thing is to get in contact and arrange a viewing. Find my next article in what to expect from a care home for more information.