Don’t be afraid to ask questions when you’re choosing an aged care provider for yourself or a loved one.
Choosing an aged care provider, whether for yourself or a loved one, is one of the most important decisions you can make. After all, the quality of care you will receive will make a huge difference to how you live your life in your later years. It’s a decision you want to get right, the first time, so you can continue to enjoy yourself and get the most out of your days.
So, how do you find out which providers are offering the highest quality of care? First things first, you need to do your research. Speak to different facilities and providers to find out how they do things. Visit the premises and ask for a tour. Sit down and speak to someone and see what they can tell you. It isn’t always easy to know what to ask, so to help you ask the right questions and get the information you need, SummitCare has compiled a list (right) to get you started.
You will undoubtedly have your own questions about quality that are important to you. You may wish to keep a pet – are you allowed to?
You may play an instrument – how will this be accommodated? Is there a garden or veggie patch where you can grow something and get your hands dirty and remain active? The range of social and recreational activities may be crucially important to you, or they may not. It is important to think about and be aware of your own personal ‘must-haves’, those certain features that could be deal-breakers, and make sure you ask about those in as much detail as you need.
Don’t be afraid to take notes, and if it helps take a printout of questions with spaces for the answers.
Finally, if you haven’t got the information you were after, ask again. Eventually, you will have a wealth of information, making the decision-making process much easier.
Questions you may want to ask the provider:
Person-centred care
- How do you work in partnership with family and friends?
- How do you encourage participation in staying active and connected?
- How do you support a person’s total wellbeing?
- How do you ensure a family’s privacy?
Measuring quality
- How is the quality of care and services measured?
- How do you involve older people, their families and carers in quality improvement?
- How are care staff involved in quality improvements?
Accreditation
- How did the facility perform in its accreditation audit?
If you would like more information about Summitcare homes give us a call on (02) 8865 3600.
