With so many options and things to consider, thinking about choosing a care home for yourself or a loved one can be a daunting and stressful time. We’ve put together some tips and advice to help you with your research.

Understanding the care you need

The first step in choosing a care home is to work out what type of care you need. From specialist nursing or dementia care, to simply a safe and comfortable environment for people who are feeling isolated or need a bit of assistance with day-to-day life, different homes will specialise in different types of care so it’s important to understand what you need.

If you’re choosing a care home for a relative, where it’s possible to do so, have a conversation with them about what’s most important to them – after all this will be their home, possibly for the rest of their life. You may also find it beneficial to involve other close family members or talk to friends who’ve been through a similar process to get their advice.

At Ashton Manor we provide the highest quality residential, nursing, dementia, and respite care and our person-centred approach means we carefully consider each resident’s individual care needs. You can read more about our different types of care here.

What to look for in a home

Location

Many people have strong relationships in their local communities and so choose to stay in the same area to maintain these connections. For others, moving into care presents the opportunity to move closer to family or friends, making it easier for them to visit and provide extra support. The website carehome.co.uk is a great place to start your search for homes in the areas you’re considering.

Reviews

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator for care homes in England and undertakes regular inspections to make sure homes are meeting government standards and to identify any areas of concern. As a new home, Ashton Manor was assessed by the CQC before we welcomed our first residents to ensure the building and environment is fit for the purpose intended but we have not yet had our first CQC inspection since opening, which is why you won’t see that information online just yet. (You can find our listing here.)

It’s also a good idea to read reviews of homes from residents and their families. The leading UK care home review website is carehome.co.uk, which has reviews for over 17,000 homes. Again, as Ashton Manor is a new home, only our first residents’ families have been in a position to write a review but we’re been really happy to read the positive comments so far and are sure there will be many more to follow in the future!  You can find our profile here.

Facilities and lifestyle

It’s important that you feel the facilities and activities on offer will make your chosen home a comfortable and enjoyable place to live. From the specifications of the bedrooms and bathrooms to the design of the communal dining and living areas, quality of the food and access to relaxing outside spaces, there are many ways in which homes differ so it’s important to consider what’s most important to you.

You will also want to be confident that life in the home will be enjoyable, with stimulating activities provided in an environment that helps residents to get to know one another and build new friendships.

At Ashton Manor we’ve created a lively and modern place to live and our residents are part of a warm and inclusive community. We organise an interesting schedule of social activities for those who choose to participate. Have a look at our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages to get a feel for life at Ashton Manor.

Understanding fees and funding

Funding care can be one of the most worrying and complex parts of the process so it’s important to be aware of the options available to you while doing your research. Be sure to get a full understanding of the costs of the homes you’re interested in, which care home managers can help you with. You can find more information about funding care here.

Contacting and visiting homes

Once you’ve done your initial research, contact the homes on your shortlist and have a chat with the home manager. You can discuss with them how the home would meet your care needs, fees and the availability of places, to make sure your fundamental needs are met before taking your enquiry further.

Following your initial conversations, if you’re still interested, it’s recommended you make a visit in person so you can see the environment for yourself, meet some of the team and get a feel for what life is like in the home. If possible, visit with the person who will be moving in as it’s important to make sure they’ll feel comfortable there. Age UK have put together this handy checklist of things to consider when choosing a care home, which you may find useful.

If you feel Ashton Manor could be right for you…

If you think Ashton Manor could be the right home for you or your loved one, we’re more than happy to talk to you about life here and answer your questions.

At Evermore our team are here to support you to make an informed decision about what’s right for you, so we also encourage you to come and see Ashton Manor for yourselves. If you’d like to book an appointment, you can email us on enquiries@evermorecare.com or call us on 01524 566 007.