How to Choose a Care Home

Choosing a care home, for yourself or a loved one, is an important decision and one to be taken carefully. There are many things to consider: the cost, the location, the type of care offered, and more. What makes a good care home, and how do you know if it's right for you?

The best way to begin is by establishing your health and care requirements and preferences. You should also consider your care budget. Then, you can start looking for care homes near you, viewing their available online information and requesting brochures. Once you've made a shortlist of the best care homes, it's important to visit them in person.

This step-by-step guide will explain the process of choosing a care home (UK). We'll discuss how to choose a good care home for your needs, and what else to consider before committing.

Step 1: Establish Your Needs and Preferences

The first step is to decide what to look for when choosing a care home. This will vary from person to person, depending on your care needs, lifestyle and priorities. For example:

• Where in the UK would you like to live?
• What type of care home do you need (residential, nursing or dual-registered)?
• Do you have any medical conditions or impairments that must be accommodated? For example, physical disability, sensory impairment, dementia?
• What is your preferred care home size, and ratio of carers to residents?
• Would you prefer fully furnished accommodation, or the option to bring your own furniture?
• What amenities and facilities are most important to you (e.g. on-site spa, library, gardens)?
• What types of entertainment and activities would your ideal care home offer?
• Is a choice of food and dining facilities important to you? Would you appreciate the freedom to dine at any time and entertain guests?

Be sure to involve your loved ones in this process. They can help you create a "choosing a care home checklist" that is specific to your wants and needs.

Step 2: Determine Your Care Budget

The next step to choosing a care home is to establish how much you can afford to spend on care. Creating a budget will help narrow down your options and simplify your search for the best care homes.

UK residents may be entitled to funding towards care home costs, so be sure to factor this in. To determine your eligibility, your local council will conduct a needs assessment and a means test. If you are assessed as requiring nursing care, the NHS may also cover the nursing component of the fees.

Step 3: Find Care Homes Near You

Now that you know what to look for, you can begin the process of finding a care home that suits your needs.

If you have any family or friends in residential or nursing care, feel free to ask them for recommendations. If not, the Care Quality Commission website is a great tool to use if you need help finding a care home. You can search by location, and filter the results according to the type of home and any specialisms required (e.g. dementia care).

Step 4: Check Recent Inspection Ratings

To find the best care homes (UK), pay close attention to their most recent inspection ratings. This will reveal the quality of care they provide, assessed by an independent regulator. These are:

• The Care Inspectorate in Scotland
• The Welsh Care Inspectorate in Wales
• The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority in Northern Ireland
• The Care Quality Commission (CQC) in England

The overall CQC rating, ranging from "Outstanding" to "Inadequate", works as a good care home guide to base your decision on. You can also access full reports to see a breakdown of ratings in each key area.

Step 5: Request Brochures

Next, create a list of potential care homes based on their location, inspection rating and ability to provide for your needs. Once you have done this, you can start looking through brochures for each residence that you're interested in.

Usually, the care home’s website will feature an enquiry form that you can fill out to request a brochure. If not, you can give them a call or send an email. The care home team should be very accommodating, friendly and helpful.

The brochure will provide you with more information about the care home, including photos, facilities and fees.

Step 6: Visit Your Favourite Care Homes

The final step to choosing a care home is to visit in person. This will give you an opportunity to look around, meet the other residents and get to know the staff. You may also be able to take part in activities or sample the food. You may wish to visit a few times, which should be welcomed.

While you are there, take note of the general atmosphere: does the environment seem clean, homely and well kept? Are the carers friendly, engaged and approachable? Do the residents seem happy?

You can also ask questions about the care home’s rules and policies, the amenities on offer, or anything else. The home should offer to provide you with information you can take away and read at leisure.

When you have found the perfect care home, the only thing left to do is to organise the move. See our guide on how to prepare for moving into a care home for more information.

Discover KYN: Luxury Care Homes in London and the South East

At KYN Bickley, we provide the highest standards of residential and nursing care in inspiring, beautifully decorated environments. Our aim is to truly enrich the lives of everyone who calls KYN home.

We get to know each resident as an individual, understanding their history, lifestyle, needs and preferences. We then create a holistic, personalised care plan, focusing equally on physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. Our residents enjoy a varied programme of cultural, intellectual and recreational activities, while our bespoke household system helps to foster meaningful social connections.

To request a brochure or visit, contact KYN today. Fill in our online enquiry form, telephone +44 (0) 20 3535 1923 or email us at enquiries@kyn.co.uk.