Care Homes
Hi All
I am a new member and have been reading the comments about quality of care and nursing homes. This is my first contribution.
Until recently I was a Care Team Leader in a Residential Care Home. I am now an NVQ assessor and travel to various homes.
Please, when choosing a home ask if the care staff have received dementia training. You may be suprised at the answer. The homes I worked in had no training although about 90% of the residents suffered with dementia. Also ask how long the care staff have worked there. Some homes have a high turn over and there is usually a reason for this.
Ask to visit the home at meal times, this can show how settled the home is and how the residents are treated. Some homes have protected mealtimes but should still let you visit. Ask about activites and what they consist of. The minimum were I used to work was 15 hours a week, which is a joke.
Another give away is to see how the residents react when the carers are near, their facial expressions particularly.
A couple of years ago I was assessing in an EMI home for one of the larger companys and I was horrified by the way the residents were being treated. It ended up with the home being reported for abuse. As for the CSCI inspections, from experience, they seem more interested in checking paperwork than the actual care provided. Even the unannounced inspection are prewarned by them sending out questionaires to the staff and families. So you know they are coming usually within three weeks, so things get tightened up.
It may look that I have a low opinion of care homes, but in fact it is the opposite. I have worked with a lot of lovely people who work themselves into the ground for the residents they look after. They are out there.
Hi All
I am a new member and have been reading the comments about quality of care and nursing homes. This is my first contribution.
Until recently I was a Care Team Leader in a Residential Care Home. I am now an NVQ assessor and travel to various homes.
Please, when choosing a home ask if the care staff have received dementia training. You may be suprised at the answer. The homes I worked in had no training although about 90% of the residents suffered with dementia. Also ask how long the care staff have worked there. Some homes have a high turn over and there is usually a reason for this.
Ask to visit the home at meal times, this can show how settled the home is and how the residents are treated. Some homes have protected mealtimes but should still let you visit. Ask about activites and what they consist of. The minimum were I used to work was 15 hours a week, which is a joke.
Another give away is to see how the residents react when the carers are near, their facial expressions particularly.
A couple of years ago I was assessing in an EMI home for one of the larger companys and I was horrified by the way the residents were being treated. It ended up with the home being reported for abuse. As for the CSCI inspections, from experience, they seem more interested in checking paperwork than the actual care provided. Even the unannounced inspection are prewarned by them sending out questionaires to the staff and families. So you know they are coming usually within three weeks, so things get tightened up.
It may look that I have a low opinion of care homes, but in fact it is the opposite. I have worked with a lot of lovely people who work themselves into the ground for the residents they look after. They are out there.