Choosing a care home is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make, as the place you choose will be where you’ll spend your golden years. As such, you want to make sure you pick somewhere that’s going to cater to your needs, be sensitive and provide exceptional care. Often people rush into their decision of what care home they’ll go into, and that can be one of the worst decisions you can make. A great care home can make all the difference. Here are our tips for choosing a good care home:
Ask for References:
Whether you’ll looking at Oxfordshire care homes or care homes somewhere further abroad, it’s important that you get some references. Make sure you ask the important questions too, like how many staff there are to residents, what kind of activities are on and what kind of facilities the care home has. It is important to keep yourself engaged and active while you age, so finding a care home that prioritises that is a must.
Ask for a Day Visit:
If you’re looking to spend your time there, or send someone you love there, then they should be open to you spending a day there to see how things operate. It can be a great way to meet the other residents, get to know some of the carers and see what the general vibe is there. A short fleeting visit will not give you an all-round impression of the place, so spending a little longer is a great way to get a realistic insight.
Listen to your Instincts:
If you have a bad feeling about the place, despite everything seeming good, listen to it. As humans, we’re the only animals that ignore their instincts. Choosing your home is an important decision and if your gut instinct is to stay away from a care home, then you should listen to it. Make sure you view a few different places so you have a good starting point for comparison.
Look for Reviews Online:
A quick Google search can reveal some pretty interesting information. People are quite likely to complain about something if it’s not up to standard, so searching online to see if there’s any information about the rest care home is a great way to dig up any dirt if there’s any around.
Spend a little time being fussy with where you choose as it will make all the different. A good care home is a supportive, engaging and homely environment that will make your golden years comfortable and secure. It is not a decision to be made lightly.