Choosing the right care home is a difficult and daunting prospect. Often the person needing the additional support that a care home can offer will have been unwell for a long period of time, and this will inevitably have put a strain on their family and friends who have tried to provide them with the additional support they require. Because of this, when the time comes to make this important decision and choose a home, the person’s family and friends are already under considerable pressure.
What should someone look for in a care home?
Choosing a care home is not the simple and easy process it may appear to be. It is for this reason that I decided to write this guide, to try and help people in making such an important decision.
Unfortunately care homes these days often seem to be synonymous with abuse and falling standards. This is a great shame, as during my time as both a carer and a nurse I have seen some excellent examples of care provided to residents.
As professional carers we are often privy to information and insights that other people are not, and I feel that we should do our best to make them aware of this information if it may benefit them. Information is an important aspect of good decision making, and we carers need to provide as much information as possible.
Most people understand and accept that the National Health Service is under tremendous pressure, and that much needs to be done to retain this valuable institution. As a health care professional I find it frustrating that the alternatives to the NHS, such as care provided by private companies, organisations, and charities do not meet the standard of care that they claim to provide. This is detrimental to everyone involved, and particularly the residents who deserve the best possible level of care.
Examples of this failure are care homes I have worked in that are chronically understaffed, with resulting low morale, and have enormous difficulty recruiting new staff. Yet they do little to address these pressing issues, instead spending millions of pounds on unnecessary refurbishments and extensions.
Some care homes continue to take on new clients in circumstances like the above, while making little or no attempt to address the situation.
