Care home questions, help please?

*123*

Registered User
Oct 5, 2015
5
0
hi

Have been given a list of care homes to go and visit for my gran (self funding)

Was wondering if could give me advice / questions I should be asking, never had to do this before so just looking for help

Many thanks in advance
 

Baker17

Registered User
Mar 9, 2016
3,382
0
hi

Have been given a list of care homes to go and visit for my gran (self funding)

Was wondering if could give me advice / questions I should be asking, never had to do this before so just looking for help

Many thanks in advance
My advice would be to turn up unannounced, I was advised to do this my a care home manager, I made a list of questions, how many residents, how many staff, what qualifications, any outside space, any entertainment, any outside outings, an events organiser ask to see all common areas, kitchen and bedrooms and bath/ shower rooms and any others you feel necessary and read the cqc reports, I found some disturbing info on them. Hope this helps, plus talk to people for recommendations
 

SnowWhite

Registered User
Nov 18, 2016
699
0
First thing is the atmosphere. If it has a nice "feel" to it and staff seem open and friendly then that's a good start. I have looked at 14 homes in the last few months and some have been spotless but have zero atmosphere. Beware of homes where they are all stuck in a TV room with the TV blaring.

Don't be impressed or swayed by them saying they have beautiful gardens or grounds because in only 2 care homes I visited did I see a single person sitting out in the sunshine and we've had lovely weather here. One place was spotless and like a hotel but a lady I spoke to who had mild dementia told me she had never been outside in the year she had been there.

Mind you, your Gran may be completely different to my Mum so your needs may be entirely different. I need my Mum to socialise, to have people show interest in her, to stimulate her and to make her feel safe on top of all the basic requirements. Some people with severe dementia have different requirements.

I turned up unannounced at every single home and they all allowed me to look around except one.

My Mum is on the waiting list for a place at a nursing home and I chose that because they genuinely seemed interested in hearing what my Mum was like and asked about her interests and hobbies. Some homes asked nothing about her at all. It's not the poshest, it's a bit higgledy piggledy as it's an old building but I was allowed to speak freely to residents with no staff around. It was clean and nicely decorated and the rooms I saw were sunny and bright. Hope this helps a bit. X
 

Juliasdementiablog

Registered User
Oct 23, 2017
80
0
Brighton
I think it is very difficult to get this right and well worth investing time at this stage, so good question! There is advice on this on Alzheimers.org.uk website. They have a Guide to Choosing a Care Home. Apart from this I would ask questions about well-being. What does the home do to ensure the well-being for all its residents? I would expect to hear about more than just 'activities' though meaningful activities relevant to your gran would be good to know about. What do they do if someone is particularly stressed, depressed, anxious, unable to settle etc. Do they have strategies for engaging residents with 'challenging behaviour'? What training do staff get to support the well-being of residents. What training do they get to understand dementia and how to communicate sensitively with people who have dementia. What percentage of their staff have actually done the training. Also who will be visiting your gran? Its important to think about distance they will have to travel. I visit my mother who is 30 minutes away from her old home where I am living in order that I can visit her. I visit regularly at least 5 times a week, and now 30 minutes feels too far.
 

PollyP.

Registered User
Oct 8, 2009
327
0
Herefordshire UK
Hi 123,
My Mum used to go to Day Care and sometimes a week of respite care before she needed to go into the same Home as a permanent resident. So it was good for her as she knew everyone and I was also able to see how the staff interacted with the residents.

I had noticed how the atmosphere in the home was really relaxed and homely, and the staff seemed to be genuinely happy in their work. I think this speaks volumes!

My Mum has been in the Home for almost 5 years now, and in the earlier years, she was able to join in with everything, sadly now she is too far advanced with dementia (she is 101 years old!) to appreciate anything. But of course the activities and entertainment goes on and is enjoyed by the other residents - this is four or five days a week. They are taken out to places such as garden centres and have afternoon tea, they have even had a 5 day trip to the seaside and also a boat trip down the river, with a picnic too.

I'm sure there are some very good homes around, but as others have said, visit them unannounced first, then you can always go back and ask questions later if you need to.

Best wishes
Pauline
 

*123*

Registered User
Oct 5, 2015
5
0
Thank you to everyone who have replied much appreciated and fantastic information
 

malengwa

Registered User
Jan 26, 2017
258
0
I've just been through this, visited 12 in two days, fell over in one too! Only I could do that!
apart from the above I always asked about staff turnover, but mainly focused on what mum needs. So I asked a lot about food options and how they support people who are not eating. I want mum to be able to sing or help with baking so asked about activities. .She never liked bingo! I wanted to see more than one lounge so she can find a quiet space but still be with others too. I looked at what staff were doing, we're residents in lounges on their own with no interaction.
you do get a feel, some I came away not liking but couldn't quite put my finger on.
I did find it completely exhausting though! Good luck hope you find somewhere.
 

Graybiker

Registered User
Oct 3, 2017
326
0
County Durham
Lots of excellent advice here.

From my own perspective, mam had respite care in 2 different homes, which made our decision easier.
Both were good, one was very new, excellent facilities, all mod cons etc, the other a converted old house, not as many facilities, smaller.
We actually plumped for the smaller home. Mam was happy and well cared for in both but found it easier to make friends in the smaller, slightly shabbier home. As she is very social this was an important factor. As someone else mentioned, the 'atmosphere' here is lovely, more home like, less institution, which suits her. This home was also awarded an 'outstanding' in the care category of the cqc report.
So my suggestion would be, try respite somewhere first, if at all possible. If not, which was the case in one of our other 'possibles', the management there suggested mam went for the day, have lunch there etc to see how she liked it, said dad could go too if he wanted. This seems like a good option also to get a feel for the place.

I wish you well in your search
Xx
 

Frank68

Registered User
Jan 28, 2013
96
0
South Coast
Graybiker, and the other responses too, are good!
I was in same position about 4 months ago... Like Graybiker I chose a small home, bit shabby, but the staff seemed very caring. Smaller home means staff get to know residents better and vice versa _ obvious really but I hadn't thought of it until a friend pointed it out!
Sue visited a few times before going in - plus kitted her room out with lots of her photos and pot plants etc - all helps.
Not too distant is also important to ease on going visiting.
Are the staff caring? that's the number one question imho.
Good luck - such a responsibility....
Frank
 

2jays

Registered User
Jun 4, 2010
11,598
0
West Midlands
Don’t write off bingo!
Mum hated bingo. Thought it “wasn’t for her”

Imagine my surprise when I found her actively involved with the bingo when I visited and she told me to wait until it was finished :D

If when you first enter the care home, you feel “comfortable” that the staff are interacting kindly, it doesn’t stink of stale bodily functions.... by that I mean that horrid smell of “old dried up wee” and not the “just done wee”

A range of activities. Morning and afternoon.

Music and singing. Every one, no matter what stage, can enjoy music and singing. When mum was very advanced, she didn’t always join the activity room, but was always taken when there was music and singing

That’s what I based my choice on
 

SnowWhite

Registered User
Nov 18, 2016
699
0
If activities are important to you then it's a good idea to ask if they have an activities co-ordinator. Where mum was they just got a careworker to do something for maybe half an hour BUT if they got called away to help someone then the activities ceased even though the home says activities take place every afternoon.
 

malengwa

Registered User
Jan 26, 2017
258
0
I must admit I was torn by the small/big dilemma. Sadly for us some of the smaller places were too cramped and I wasn't sure they could meet mums needs. I still have reservations about choosing a bigger place, and they have said yes yet, but I do feel it is the right choice that had a space. 3 of the ones we liked didn't have space and had waiting lists.
I must admit, as i fight a rotten cold type thing, i've really missed mum this week. She's still with us, but you all know what I mean.
 

*123*

Registered User
Oct 5, 2015
5
0
Hi

Thank you all again for all replys.

Have been to a number of homes over last 2 days and still got some to go tomorrow
 

Malalie

Registered User
Sep 1, 2016
310
0
We were advised by a good neighbour who is nurse in a nursing home nearby, and has some understanding of dementia, to find a home that has a "Nursing Home" and an EMI unit on site as well as residential care. Should either medical needs or unacceptable behaviour needs develop, the person with dementia would not need to move to a different home. There are always at least a few registered nurses on site in case of emergency, and should the PWD have to have a spell in hospital, they can be released back into the Nursing home part of the home more quickly . (Hospital was not a good place for PWD to be I found...)

It seemed to work well with MIL who was in the residential bit, and even some of the people who lived in the EMI unit would be down in the residential area, taking part in activities etc during the daytime.

The other thing she said was that if it smells, just turn round and walk out.... Must admit that the first time we visited MILs home, the EMI unit hummed a bit, but we visited again and it was fine, and when we took part in activities up there late, all was well. (accidents happen.)

Its a very difficult choice, and being close to you is also so important. Good luck, and I hope that you find somewhere that 'just feels right' xx