Choosing the best care home for older people
Saturday, January 15th, 2011It can be a very disconcerting prospect having to make a decision about care for older people. Trying to find the right care home that will suit your needs means making sure that you ask the right questions before deciding on somewhere suitable. It also means understanding the difference between the services that various care homes offer.
For instance, residential care homes and nursing homes do not offer the same kind of service. Residential homes offer qualified nursing care but staff will not be based at the residential care homes twenty four seven. Nursing care homes have their staff on the premises and provide more support to older people requiring that level of medical care . So the level of medical care required is the first thing to consider when choosing a care home. Other things to consider include making sure that the care home you are considering is registered and that all staff – managers and employees – have the appropriate qualifications. It is a good idea to visit the premises to gain a first impression including how clean and maintained the home is and the manners of the staff.
If a care home is being considered for an older person, they do have the right to choose the care home that they will live in but there are organisations that can help assess that decision. Social Services and the NHS Primary Care Trust can help you and your family assess the right kind of care home by carrying out a needs assessment either in the home or in hospital. Financial factors will then also be taken into consideration such as how much the local authority will pay towards the care home costs or how much you and your family will contribute to costs from pensions or savings.