The decision to seek a nursing home is born out of necessity. Given the choice, no one wants to have to choose a nursing home for themselves or a loved one. Nursing homes provide her with a registered nurse for ongoing medical needs. They are designed specifically for people who need 24 hour care.

So if you are looking for a care home in London for example, the best thing to do is follow the guide below.

It is common for ongoing care needs to be identified after hospitalization. In many cases, it is the relatives who are tasked with finding suitable nursing homes that are currently available.

The demand for hospital beds is so great that many families speak of the pressure hospital staff and social workers put on them to find care homes for their loved ones. Bed occlusions are a major problem for the NHS, but we need to ensure a safe and suitable environment for our loved ones before they leave the hospital.

1.   What are the cost implications?

It is very important to know the cost of a week’s treatment, including the financial support available to your loved one. All care recipients are eligible for Funded Care (FNC). This is a £209.19 weekly payment contributed by the NHS to cover the cost of a 24-hour registered nurse.

Important Tip: Always check with the facility to see if her FNC is included in the weekly rate offered by the Nursing Home.

The nursing home registers her FNC payments for all new residents. These are paid directly to the home for the duration of your stay. The only individuals not covered by the FNC are those with Continuing Healthcare (CHC) designations. Learn more about various financing options for people in need of care.

Don’t be surprised by unexpected charges. Most nursing homes will give you an up-front fee, but it’s a good idea to be clear:

Residents must pay an annual membership fee.

Is there an initial advance payment for care costs?

2.   Can the nurse cover the needs of the family?

Great news. Have you found a nursing home that is currently available, but have you made sure it can support your loved one’s care needs? depends on

Commonly, nursing homes can only support people with dementia if their care needs outweigh their dementia needs. If your loved one needs care but is also suffering from dementia, it is important to clarify whether a home is set up for them. If you are advised to seek a nursing home, hospital staff will perform a “care assessment.” Please request a copy of this assessment as it describes your exact care needs. H. Requires lifting, suprapubic catheter and ostomy care. Refer to this when speaking with shortlisted care homes. They should be able to advise if they can assist you.

Finally, if you are seeking care for a loved one under the age of 65, you should clarify whether the home has a minimum entry age. Due to the nature of care, many homes are licensed only for those over the age of 65.

3rd visit: When is the best time to visit?

We have determined the costs and confirmed that we can support your loved one’s care needs. The next step is a visit! Most nursing homes allow visitation throughout the day, but simply ask that there be no time for medication or meals.

Choosing a nursing home is a bit like choosing your first home. It only takes a few visits to find out which homes will make you feel right at home. Only you know what is important to your family. If they’re foodies, ask them to show you a copy of the house’s weekly menu.

Here are some questions to ask yourself as you look around your home.

Does the furniture match the tastes of your relatives? Are the corridors wide enough for a wheelchair? What do the common parts of the house look like? Do other residents seem happy?

Does the household use the services of a surrogate nurse? If so, what is the ratio of full-time caregivers to temporary caregivers working from home? Book a restaurant without asking for recommendations or searching on TripAdvisor. So why should you choose a nursing home without asking others first? People don’t know what life is like in a nursing home as much as someone who has experienced it. Just type the house name into a Google search and see what comes up.

4.   Read what other people say about the Home

We also recommend reading what the regulators say about the service. All nursing homes in England are regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and when inspected receive one of the following ratings:

Excellent, Good, Needs Improvement or Inadequate. You can also read the inspector’s full inspection report available from the care home’s profile on TrustedCare.co.uk or her CQC website.

Nursing homes in Scotland and Wales are regulated by the Nursing Inspectorate. Although the regulators of both countries share the same name, they operate completely independently. Learn more about the role of governing bodies and how they scrutinize care services.

5.   Establishing the Essential Lines of Communication

When someone moves into a nursing home, they are likely to have concerns about their health and well-being. Moving to a nursing home doesn’t mean worrying about your loved ones will go away overnight.

Most care services are open to families and welcome to visit at any time. However, there are many reasons why regular visits are not possible.

Whether you live in another county (or another country) or have unique medical needs that prevent you from visiting. In this case, it is important to establish lines of communication between you and your relatives, and between you and the house.

Lots of Care Homes have phone lines installed in residents’ rooms, meaning it is very easy to put a landline telephone in your family members’ rooms. If phone lines haven’t been installed then it is very common for residents to have their own mobile telephones. Should the home be located in a ‘black spot’ for mobile phone signal and there are no phone lines in residents rooms, then often the home will have a cordless telephone which they are able to take to the resident, no matter where they are in the Home.

If your family member is hard of hearing then communicating with them over the phone might present too much of a challenge. In which case, call the Care Home directly and ask to speak to whomever has been charged with caring for your family member that day for an update.