How to find the perfect residential aged care facility for a loved one
How to begin? This is probably the first question you have when trying to find the best full—time care facility for a loved one. What exactly should you be looking for when choosing the right care option? Will it meet the unique need of your loved one? How do you even start having the conversation about accessing different care services? Certainly, there is a lot to think about.
Ageing and frailty are both facts of life. It’s not a case of if but when an elderly loved one will need extra care. Having the conversation about transitioning to a full-time care facility early is important. Finding out what their wishes are in the first place is important. As is letting your loved one know that they will be in a safe and caring place that will help them live an enriched life.
Once you have decided that a move to full-time care is the best option, there are 10 key questions that you need to ask to ensure you are choosing the perfect care facility for your loved one:
Whether I want to live here?
How will my loved one be treated?
What kinds of timetabled activities are available to residents?
Is there medical help available?
What other specialist staff are available to residents?
Are individual care plans followed for each resident?
Will my loved one be left alone?
How are visits managed?
How will my loved one be welcomed?
What are the fees?
How to find the perfect residential aged care facility for a loved one
These questions should form the backbone of your queries as you search for the perfect care facility. As with everything these days, your search for a care facility usually begins on Google. Typing in the desired location plus keywords like “care facility”, “long term care facility” or “dementia and memory support” will generate a whole host of results. However, it is what you do next that matters.
Finding the ultimate aged care home for a loved one requires doing some digging. Plus, a bit of legwork. Go ahead and take a tour of your shortlisted choices. And while you are touring a facility, make sure you get a good feel for the overall environment. Pay special attention to how the staff are treating the residents. Note what the food is like, what type of activities are offered, what safety features are in place, etc. Make sure you ask whoever is conducting the tour key questions 2 – 10 above. The first key question is for yourself. If you wouldn’t want to live in the care facility, then you obviously wouldn’t place your loved one in its care.
Final thoughts
Choose an aged care home that is open and upfront in their answers to the key questions we’ve outlined. Olivet Care understands that choice is important for elderly people as well as their loved ones when it comes to finding the right care solution. That is why they provide a wealth of valuable resources on their website to help you make informed choices on your journey to find the best aged care home for a family member. In fact, they aim to be as transparent as possible in everything they do. Which is why they even publish a full list of their fees. Not something that every aged care service provider does. That’s because Olivet Care understands you need all the information you can get your hands to make the best choice for your elderly loved one. Why not let the highly experienced and compassionate Olivet Care team help you address any questions you may still have about finding the best aged care home?
