Thinking about how to choose a care home for yourself or your elderly relative can be a difficult prospect. You want the home to be comfortable, with good facilities, a team of friendly and compassionate carers, and, above all, the means to meet all of your care needs.

There are some good questions to ask yourself when choosing a care home to ensure you find the right fit. So, if you want to know how to find a care home for you or your loved one, here are some things to consider when looking for the perfect care home…

First impressions

Have a look at the care home website, take a virtual tour, or even book a visit to have a look around the care home. Do you get a good first impression from the care home? Is it somewhere you can see yourself feeling safe and comfortable? Is it somewhere you could make your home? This isn’t something you can really put on paper but more of a general feeling you get, and this doesn’t make it any less important a factor in making your decision.

Close to your loved ones

Think about how easy it will be for friends and relatives to come and visit. Being close to family can help a care home resident feel supported, something particularly important later in life. While you are surrounded by other residents in a care home, all of whom are at a similar stage to you in life and with whom you may forge great friendships, choosing a home close to your loved ones can really enhance the experience.

Close to local amenities

Similarly, it’s good to think about the location of the home and how convenient it will be to access local amenities like shops, cafés, GP surgeries, and more. Finding a care home close to local amenities makes them easier to visit which can enhance your independence. Think about what you often like to do out of the house, and you may find a home where you can continue to enjoy these things.

Facilities & features

The features of a care home can really make a difference to the whole experience. Many modern homes are designed to make your time there as enjoyable as possible, and this includes things like en-suite rooms, chic furnishings, landscaped gardens, bistros, hair salons, cinemas, and more! Not to mention programmes of fun and accessible social events and activities. All of these things under one roof can easily make day-to-day living fun and interesting. So think about the things you think could really enhance your living experience in a care home.

Care plans

As previously mentioned, the most important thing about finding a perfect care home is that the staff there can provide the right level of care. This means they’ll be able to keep you safe, well, and supported, so you can enjoy everything else on offer at the home – like the facilities and features. Find out more about the different types of care and care homes available, work out what’s right for you and look for a home that can offer you a bespoke care package.

Cost consideration

Care homes can vary in cost so it’s good to consider your budget and whether you’ll have any funding from your local authority. Living in a care home can be costly, and more modern homes with newer facilities and a wider range of features tend to have higher costs. You should think about what’s important to you and what you can comfortably afford. Learn more about the cost of living in a care home.

CQC rating

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) independently inspect care homes across England to ensure these homes meet the correct quality standards to keep elderly people safe. They judge whether the care service provided is safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led – rating each of these categories as ‘Outstanding’, ‘Good’, ‘Requires Improvement’, or ‘Inadequate’. The care service is also given an overall rating. If the service is rated ‘Good’, or above, it means that the service is performing well, is safe, and meets CQC’s expectations of how things should run.

Could an Oakland Care home be the perfect one for you?

Take a closer look at our eight state of the art care homes across Oxfordshire, London, and the southeast of England. You can take a virtual tour or arrange a visit to get a better idea if one of our Oakland Care residences is the perfect home for you. Learn more about who we are at Oakland Care, including our values and commitment to high quality care, take a look at our stunning care home features, and find out what care plans we have on offer. If you have any questions, contact us and we’ll be more than happy to help you.