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Collaborative Post¦ There comes a time where it’s wiser to admit that your elderly relative might need a helping hand than there is to prioritise their complete independence at all costs. Care homes often have a bad connotation to them, because some elderly relatives might be worried of being placed in a care home and then forgotten about by the family.
Ironically, a care home can be the safest and healthiest place that your elderly relative could ever live, not only in terms of having their physical and mental health looked after, but also in terms of socializing, of engaging in programmes to experience life outside the care home, and in gaining a much better quality of life. Most residents of care homes would agree with this assessment completely.
However, after you have discussed your options with your relative and consider this the best route, it can be hard to know what to look for. Thankfully, in our following advice, we hope you can achieve this and more:
Take A Tour
It’s important to take a tour around a care home in order to see the facilities. Most worthwhile homes will help you do this, as well as show you the standard progression of life within. If a care home refuses to open its doors to a prospective guest, that’s a red flag the size of the moon. Taking a tour not only helps you see what kind of room your relative might reside in and get a chance to meet some of the staff, but it also helps your relative feel a little more comfortable in knowing they are heading to a supportive, warm place, rather than being banished to some mystery house they have no understanding of.
Find The Best
Your online research is also an important part of selecting a care home. It’s important to find registered care homes with a web presence, those that can show you the goals and the principles of the care home before you even take the tour. Sometimes, you can even find reviews or use Google Maps to see how close it is to the local town, or what lies within its proximity. Again, this can take the worrying sting out of heading to the care home for your elderly relative. If the facility has a great track record with caring for patients and treating them with dignity, then that’s a truly positive sign.
Specialized Care
Sometimes, your parent might have extra needs, outside of just the usual inconveniences of aging. It might be that they are suffering with a mental health diagnosis such as Alzheimers, or they have excess physical or medical needs that need gentle care each day. Not all standard care homes could be equipped with the means to truly cover your elderly relative with care here, and so you might be referred to a care home with a specialist edge, those that can apply their best wisdom with a proven track record. It cannot hurt to seek out these facilities, with a referral from their Doctor.
With this advice, you are certain to find a beautiful care home for your elderly relative.
Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.