What Should I Look For When Choosing An Aged Care Home?

By Author: Barbara Knox
Total Articles: 13
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Whether you are looking out for aged care homes Sydney for your ageing parent, elderly spouse or a close family friend, choosing the right facility can be a daunting task. There are many elements to consider, from location, cleanliness, staff qualifications, and even the available food options. Nowadays, with a vast number of facilities that publicise with glossy brochures and attractive websites, it is really hard to make the right decision.

Here are a few things to find respectful and well-run aged care nursing homes for your loved one –

- Buildings – Make sure that the property is easily accessible, and its condition, when you visit the property. Also check if the temperature is adjusted to a comfortable level, is the rooms spacious and clean, is it easy to navigate and are there adequate lifts and ramps. Consider these factors when you inspecting the potential aged care facilities.

- Facilities – After you have visited the aged care facility, look into the rooms and see it is welcoming. Also, observe if there are any private rooms for those who wish to have a personal space. It is important for ...
... the residents to have homelike feel. Look into the breakaway spaces as well.

- Care Givers – The caregivers working in the aged care facility must possess necessary experience and patience to deal with the residents. Investigate about the staff to resident ratio and ask about the qualifications of the carer providers to make sure that they are well-equipped to cater to their needs. The resident’s requirements, and type of aged care might differ based on their health condition, so evaluate and decide which facility suits best.

- Observe the Other Residents – When visiting the elderly care home, look at the other residents. Observe if they look happy, socialising and utilising the activities on the facility. You can also speak to them to find out the things they enjoy doing. This way you can make some new friends in advance.

- Lifestyle Programs – Find out the offers available at the facility. Cleaning, Transport to Medical Appointments, helping with Hospital stays, Assisting with having a shower, Access to a Hairdresser or other beauty therapies, Maintaining yard, Pet Care, Assisting to take Medications, exercise classes, Group activities based on your hobbies and interests and wellness checks are a few services that you should check out.

- Accreditation – Identify if the aged care facility is accredited by the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency. This will help you to understand about the standards followed in the facility before you could make your final decision in choosing the aged care facility.

Hopefully these ideas will help you choose the right aged care home for your loved one. Ask as many questions as you can think of like cost of care homes, facilities available, food menu, etc. Be thorough about the facility before admitting your loved one in the aged care facility!

UPA was founded in Grafton NSW, during a turbulent period of Australia’s history. Still a young nation, in 1938 Australia was recovering from the Great Depression and was also suffering the aftershocks of a massive loss of life caused by WWI. It was within such a setting that the Founder of UPA, Thomas Agst developed his notion of ‘practical Christianity’, providing functional assistance to those who needed it, beginning with children in need that he and his wife, Rosetta cared for.