Residential care home - Norwich

[tadpole73]

Can anyone recommend a good residential care home in or around Norwich please?

[Fortysix]

Can't help with search in your locality but three of the places we viewed for DM weren't found by internet search. Surprisingly when we thought we'd exhausted the list there were more...

One was recommended by a dog walker, one by another family also looking and the one where DM is now was a tip off from care staff who told us about a new one opening.

[tadpole73]

Thanks Fortysix for your reply

[thesandwich]

County council may have details but word of mouth is definitely the best..... ask at the gps, church, anywhere with local contacts.

[maddywest]

Hi, am I right in thinking that all care homes would be listed on the CQC site? I'm not saying that the CQC rating would be the only criteria, but their map of care facilities should give a comprehensive list of all the homes in your area so you would have a full list to work from?
www.cqc.org.uk/help-advice/help-choosing-care-services/map-service-ratings-across-england

[maddywest]

sorry, I know that doesn't address the original request for recommendations, I was just wondering about Fortysix saying not everywhere was found by internet search.

[Paddy1234]

I work in the care home sector

1. The rating means nothing it's totally subjective
2. The manager is the most important person - from care to activities
3. Only go on recommendations
4. Visit at mealtimes or when they don't expect you
5. If there are any visitors there ask them and interact with the staff and ask questions

[Fortysix]

Carehome closure meant we - and 40 other families- had to search frantically for spaces elsewhere and had just three weeks to find a room. We were amazed that the closing down authority never furnished us with a full list. Several families went to a new home 20 miles away that had been opened less than four months which was not on any website. It is now.
We ended up going to a 'stop gap' one for seven months which was too expensive for us long term but bought us time to find a more appropriate one. We then wait listed for one which we never knew existed when we did the frantic move. [No idea still why we never found it and none of the other 40 families did either.] Where we are now is an entirely different place- DM's third and hopefully final care home, another brand new place where DM is thriving and has rediscovered tiny moments of better lucidity. Care staff tipped us off 4 months before it was launched. No website for it either as it wasn't registered then. Paddy1234's advice is spot on.

[maddywest]

Ooof. Scary thought having to go through all that again if somewhere closes.

[Fortysix]

Couldn't be more proud of DM being in three places in seven months. She is adored for her quirks by the staff.
OP have you located somewhere yet?
Another place to ask for recommendations is the staff at your nearest mobility aids shop or even the pharmacies around and about.

[OffToBedhampton]

Read cqc report too.
@Paddy's advice is good. Except please don't deliberately visit unplanned at lunchtime / busy times to look around a potential home. That is unfair, there will be clients who need feeding. I'd be concerned about a carehome which prioritised showing around random visitors /potential future customers, over actual residents' needs at that time.