Important questions to ask before choosing a care home for your loved ones

Choosing a care home for a loved one is an important decision, one that requires careful consideration to ensure their safety, comfort, and happiness in their new home

At The Beeches, we understand the significance of this decision. We are dedicated to providing a warm and welcoming second home for all our residents. We have compiled a list of questions that you can ask when visiting our care home to help you make an informed decision for your family.

Quality of care

 

The quality of care provided by a care home should be the first thing you assess. Here’s what you should enquire about when choosing a care home:

  1. How do you provide personalised care for your residents? We believe in tailoring our care to meet the unique needs of each resident at The Beeches.
  2. What kind of training do the staff receive, and how regularly do they receive it? One of our top priorities is to ensure that our staff receives proper training and are up-to-date on best practices.
  3. How do you make residents feel at home? Our aim is to create a warm and comfortable environment that fosters a sense of belonging.
  4. How is the food menu decided, and are dietary and cultural requirements catered for? Is the food prepared on the premises? We provide a variety of nutritious meals prepared by our in-house chefs while accommodating specific dietary preferences and requirements.
  5. Does The Beeches Care Home have access to services such as a GP, dentist, hairdresser, etc.? We prioritise the health and well-being of our residents by offering easy access to essential services.
  6. How do you support family members? We understand the importance of family involvement and maintain open communication to support our residents’ families.

Facilities

 

The facilities available in a care home greatly impact residents’ comfort and well-being. Here are some questions to consider while looking at a care home’s facilities:

  1. Are the bedrooms fully furnished, and can they be modified to accommodate those with a disability? Can residents bring their own belongings to personalise their rooms? Residents should feel at home at The Beeches and can customise their personal rooms as they please.
  2. Do you have a good variety of communal areas, including indoor and outdoor spaces? Our care home offers a range of communal spaces, both indoor and outdoors, to suit residents’ preferences.
  3. What kind of safety measures do you have in place at The Beeches? The safety of our residents is our top priority. We have implemented various safety measures to ensure that our residents feel safe in our care home.
  4. Is the care home designed to support people with disabilities? Are there enough handrails and lifts for residents to navigate safely through the home? Our care home is set in an old building and does have its quirks, but it has been laid out to ensure the safety of our residents and we try our best to accommodate residents with disabilities and provide support when required.

Daily life

 

Understanding the daily life of a care home is important before making a decision because your loved one will be spending a lot of time there. To better understand the daily workings of a care home like The Beeches, here are some questions you can ask:

  1. Do all residents follow the same routine, or can they choose their own schedule? At The Beeches, we understand that every resident has different preferences so we offer flexibility in daily routines.
  2. What kind of entertainment do residents have access to? Are there TVs, access to Wi-Fi, books, and games available for residents to use? We offer a wide range of entertainment options at our care home to keep our residents engaged and entertained.
  3. Can residents go out on their own whenever they want if it is safe for them to do so? At The Beeches, we encourage residents to be independent and support safe outdoor activities.
  4. Do the staff constantly engage with the residents and attend to their daily needs? Our staff provides around the clock care, support and companionship to our residents.
  5. Can family and friends visit often? What is the process to get a visitation appointment? We welcome family visits and have procedures in place to ensure smooth visitations. You can speak to a member of our team to know more about the process.
  6. Is The Beeches involved with the local community, and how is the community involved in the home’s day-to-day activities? We have a great relationship with the local community. Recently, one of the pubs in town helped us raise funds for our residents. You can read all about it on our blog.

Other important topics to consider are costs and budgets and care home activities.

 

These will help you in choosing a care home for your loved ones. You can also refer to carehome.co.uk’s official guide here

We hope this information will help you in making the right choice for your family. If you are looking for a care home for a loved one, please feel free to visit us at our care home in Ixworth or contact us at 01359 230773 and a member of our team will be happy to assist you.

 

 

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