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Site Updated
2nd March 2010
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Choosing
and Evaluating an Aged Care Home Can there be a more difficult job than finding
high care or even low care accommodation for a parent, spouse or a loved friend?
Agreed that very few people want to move to aged care. In the
past, aged care conjured up very negative feelings. It is best to face
the reality that they serve to provide the necessary care that is not available
in any other setting. Typically, the search for the appropriate aged
care home can take place under pressure when a hospital or rehabilitation centre
is threatening discharge or it's no longer possible for the loved one to live
at home. And if that is not enough, in most cases, finding the right
aged care facility is a once-in-a-lifetime task, one you're taking on without
the experience of having done it before. Putting all of that behind
us, there are a few rules of thumb that we suggest to help you: Location No
single factor is more important to quality of care and quality of life of a resident
than visits by family members. Care is often better if the facility knows someone's
watching and cares. Visits can be the high point of the day or week for the
resident. So, make it as easy as possible for family members and friends to visit.
Get references Ask the facility to provide the names of family members
of residents so you can ask them about the care provided in the facility and the
staff's responsiveness when the resident or relatives raise concerns. Check
accreditation reports. These reports are available online at
facility accreditation website Talk to the nursing home administrator
or nursing staff About how care plans are developed for residents and how
they respond to concerns expressed by family members. Make sure you are comfortable
with the response. It is better that you meet with and ask questions of the people
responsible for care and not just the person marketing the facility. Tour
the facility Try not to be impressed by a fancy lobby or depressed by an older,
more rundown facility. What matters most is the quality of care and
the interactions between staff and residents. It is a simple home-truth
that " the walls are not going to jump out and care
for you " so it is extremely important to assess the care staff.
See what you pick up about how well residents are attended to and whether
they are treated with respect. Also, investigate the quality of the food service.
Eating is both a necessity and a pleasure that continues even when we're unable
to enjoy much else. For more pointers on evaluating aged care
facilities, see our Placement Checklist.
How do families choose between aged care homes.
Most families begin the process of finding the right
aged care home after they have the copy of the aged care assessment from
the ACAT.
There is only a single page in the "5 Steps to Entry into aged care"about
finding the right home.
The selection of the aged care home is important and will have a major impact
upon your relative and upon the families peace of mind.
Final word of warning - Stories from well meaning friends
and neighbours.
Be wary of stories from friends and neighbours
who have good intentions, but may not really fully understand the current
status of the aged care home.
Alternatively, you could contact us
and save considerable time and stress in the search for the appropriate
aged care for your loved one.
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