Questions to ask Care Home

[BaconAndAvocado]

My parents are looking for a care home for my Aunty who is 82.
They’ve made an appointment to go and see one tomorrow.

What sort of questions should they be asking?

my Aunty is agoraphobic, doesn’t have Dementia or Alzheimer’s. She’s unable to care for herself, a very frail but usually enjoys a good chat.

I was shocked at how little staff there was overnight in my mums care home. I wish I’d have asked about staffing ratios over the 24 hour period, not just day times.

what residents can bring with them is another good one. Some places let you bring furniture etc if that’s what you want.

Visiting and whether staying for meals etc is possible?

Whether activities will be brought to your aunts room if she doesn’t like going out?

Is there nursing provision if you aunt were to need it in the future or would she have to move?

Those are what spring to mind initially

Try the food. Eat lunch there (unless your aunt is really not interested in food at all).

Arrangements for gps, eye tests, dentists.

I assume they have poa and she has a will.

Thank you both. I will pass those on.

More please!

Ask about staff turnover.
We looked at several homes for mum.
The first place we asked the question they stuttered slightly and said no-one had left this month.
The place we chose said very low and most of their staff had been there many years. They also had a lot of more mature staff.

I used to work in a care home and I agree staff ratios and turnover are key. Also activities. And don't be impressed by high standards of decor. In my experience that's where the budgets going, to entice people in. The shabbier or more outdated home I worked in was the best because the budget was going to high staff ratios and activities to keep the residents happy.

Not sure if you can do this now because of covid, but just turning up to view without an appointment was the way we selected the home my nan went in to. The fancy home was very flustered and wouldn't let us see many places in the home whereas the not so nice (clean, just didn't have all the luxury of the other place) home were so welcoming and nice that we chose there.

Yes, definitely get them to look into power of attorney for both health and finance.

Your nose will tell you the ones which must be avoided.

I would be suspicious of any that enforced limited visiting hours, much better to be able to come and go as you like.

Hope you find one that suits.

Staff turnover is the biggest Red Flag …happy staff = happy residents!! Trust me I work in a care home which has had a huge upheaval recently and it has directly had an effect on the residents wellbeing!
Also what vibe did you get when you entered the home…seeing happy staff,interacting with the residents definitely gives you a feeling about the home!
Dont be taken in by the decor….if very generic and clean looking you need to wonder about the atmosphere in the home!!!

staff turn over. How much agency use? If agency used are regulars? How continuity of care is ensured with changing staff

how much staff time will your aunt have for 1:1 daily chats.

are the other residents chatty? what opportunities are there to socialise? What activities are available?

visiting hours?

hair dressing? Visiting Gp? Toe nails cutting?

Staff Processes around safeguarding.

who to talk to about worries

medication your aunts on.

Dietary requirements and can they meet them

Ask what activities happen and whether they have an activities coordinator.
My dads fantastic home had a full time one who was so creative, he had a lot of fun there, I viewed at least one home where they were just expected to sit in a chair all day with maybe a once a month visit from a hairdresser.

Future proofing: do they have provision for nursing or dementia care? Can they deal with end of life care? You don’t want to have to move - the ideal is to go on when you can still make friends, chat, enjoy life: but be able to stay there when you are much less able. If dementia happens is there a secure unit?

Is it noisy? If there are residents who shout, how are people who want quiet protected... are there a choice of rooms to sit in?

What does your aunt like doing? Will they enable her interests?

Please don’t look at staff turnover as an indicator, I’ve experienced a care home with low staff turnover but they become lazy.

make an appointment for tea time to 6pm, are residents up, fed, looking clean.

where are the staff, engaged with people, assisting with personal care?

Soeak to the seniir/staff they know more than management and listen, it will be positive but listen to tone and body language.mostly listen to your own gut feeling.

Thank you all. 🙂

I will pass on these questions.

Age UK do a handy guide with all the questions to ask

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/information-guides/ageukil5careehomechecklisttinf.pdf

Not a question, but after the experience of my mum's home I'd strongly suggest ringing one of the 'wards' at various times of the day and see if the phone is answered.

At my mum's home they don't answer at mealtimes, so that's 1.5 hours three times a day. But at other times it can take forever to get an answer - once I persevered and spent 20 minutes on the phone (repeatedly ringing back) before I was able to speak to her. Many of her friends will give up after the first few minutes and I can't blame them, I often do so myself.

This. I've also worked in a home. My gran's home always looks a little shabby (clean though, obviously avoid a dirty home!) It's a great home though, with lots of activities, and they bent over backwards during Covid to allow residents as much contact with families as possible.

I would be asking about what their Covid policies were, even though it's in the past, as it may give you an idea whether they were willing to think outside the box for the benefit of their residents (like the home near me which built a visiting pod with a central clear dividing screen in the garden, or another home which let visitors sit in the garden 2m away from residents, who could sit in the conservatory with the doors open, so at least they could talk to their families). If a home just forbade visitors point blank, I'd avoid it.

Look for staff who engage with Residents positively; willing to chat / spend time/do activities with them.

Also good routines- but not regimented.

Also Residents have choices in what they do - if if their ability to choose is very limited they still get a choice.

Even if

DD works in private care home....huge issues but that's another story.. residents pay a minimum of £1000/week more if they need anything extra like hoists etc.

Questions to consider would be:

How do they check how much fluid is taken daily?
What help/encouragement is given if resident refuses to eat?
Number of night staff on a shift?
Number of permanent staff on a shift?
How many seniors on a shift?
Personal care to be done by female only staff (if that's what she'd prefer)
Use of agency staff? (some are often better than permanent staff)
What do staff do who smoke? DD often left on her own while staff (plus the senior) go and have a fag break....up to 10/15 times a day.
If you pay for a hoist/lift how many are there? (residents pay extra but there's only one standing hoist so residents have to wait until its free...could be hours)
Speak to care staff direct rather than the manager...who in DD experience knows very little of what goes on.
I'd also visit as much as you can at various times of the day before you make a decision.

Also Staff should get along well with each other- not be BFFs but it makes a horrible atomsphere when staff are feuding/backstabbing.

Bedrooms to Residents' tastes they have their favourite things around them.

A friend's Mum was in Residential Care for the end of her life- she had Dementia ( recognised people but poor short term memory) but she had her own room- a hairdresser; the staff were lovely to her and welcoming to us.