5 key steps to help you choose a Care Home

5 key steps to help you choose a Care Home 1. Work out what you will need A needs assessment by a trained professional, such as a health or social worker will help you find out what level of support is required. As also, this will also help tell you what type of home best meets these requirements. For example, the needs assessment will help clarify whether a residential or nursing home is more appropriate and suits your needs. Or whether a home is needed, that offers more specialist services. Further advice can be obtained from your local social services department or GP. 2. Work out what is required Other than ensuring whether the care home will meet your physical needs, it is also sensible to consider other things that are important to you such as: Are you be able to take certain items of your own furniture and possessions in to the home. And what is the social life like in the care home? And what kind of amenities are nearby. 3. Find out how the care will be paid As well as a care assessment, you will need to undertake a financial assessment to help you establish how best to fund your care and whether you are eligible for any state support. A number of agencies and organisations can help you with this. For more information on this, please click on: http://www.ageuk.org.uk/home-and-care/care-homes/paying-for-permanent-residential-care/ For more information on this, please click on: http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=112 For more information on this, please click on: http://www.nhs.uk/CarersDirect/guide/practicalsupport/Pages/Chargingforresidentialcare.aspx 4. Ensure you always do your homework It’s important you do your research when searching for a care home. Helpful lists can be obtained via Online directories or from social workers, community nurses or charities such as Age UK. Once you’ve identified homes in your area, you can find out a great deal of information from the home on the Care Home website or more importantly from visiting the The Care Quality Commission (CQC) website and downloading a report for that particular home, which is prepared after a CQC inspection. The CQC are the independent regulator of all health and social care services in England and so the regulator of care homes. However, there is NO real substitute for physically visiting the care home and having all your questions answered to gain your peace of mind and approval. Therefore, once you have created a shortlist of care homes, prepare any questions you might have and visit the care home and get them all answered. 5. Finally, trust your own instincts and make your decision Any care home you choose must tick all the boxes that meet your needs, criteria and budget. If after all your hard work and research your search criteria is met, then the final decision often comes down to the atmosphere of the care home. For example, if you feel happy there, and what level of confidence you have in the care team that provides all you care.