29 December 2019
Trusting Care Homes
Moving into a care home, or moving a relative into a care home, can be a stressful time. You want your loved ones’ happiness, and with so many options out there, it can be difficult to decide what to do – and which care home to choose. Alongside any personal worries you may have about moving a loved one into care, anxieties surrounding the process can really get on top of you. Here, we go through the best ways to help you achieve peace of mind when choosing a care home.
Ask as Many Questions as You Like
The best way to feel in control of your decisions is to be well informed – knowledge is power, especially when it comes to big choices. It’s best to remember that everyone that works in care, in particular Hallmark Care Homes, are prepared for all the questions you might have, and understand that when you’re worrying, even just airing a small concern can make it seem better, and stop it ‘festering’ into a bigger anxiety. The best thing to do is ask!
Do your Research
Not all care homes are made the same – they may all serve similar functions, but things available to the residents – like activities, food, and quality of care – can vary wildly. We would always recommend doing research and reading reviews of any care homes before planning a visit; if a care home doesn’t cater to your loved ones’ needs, don’t just settle – do some more research, you’ll be able to find one that does.
Make A Day of It
Many care homes allow a potential resident to spend a day at the home to get a feel for it – this allows them to get a ‘real’ experience of the home, rather than a guided tour. Usually, you can also go and have a cup of tea and a light meal with the residents and your loved one, to see how the home functions from the view of residents. This can really help ease your mind that your loved one will have a nice time there and will hopefully solidify to you that everything is as described in the brochures – and if isn’t, you know to keep looking.
Achieving Peace of Mind
The best thing you can possibly remember is that care home team have seen and heard everything, and care for people with all different likes, interests, hobbies, worries and issues daily – your loved one will be in safe, experienced hands.
It’s also important to remember that for many care homes, the standards of care has improved hugely in recent times – care homes are nowadays more of a lifestyle choice, for people to live worry-free, with many like-minded people, in a way that still allows them to continue with their favourite, daily activities. Our experts are trained in all kinds of medical conditions, so you can be sure your loved one is healthy and safe. Once your mindset around care changes, and you see your loved one comfortable and happy in the care home of their choice, your worries will simply fade away.
If you’d like to speak to us about our care homes, our care ethics, or would like to book a visit to come and see us – or just want to ask any questions – please feel free to get in touch today. An expert member of the team would be happy to advise you.