Choice of home...

There are many positive reasons for choosing residential care, including security, 24 hour care on hand,

and even possibly lower costs if care has been needed around the clock at home. However whether or not it proves to be successful will depend on choosing the right home to match with the patient’s needs and tastes.

Whether or not you are being funded by the Local Authority you will be given a choice of homes to choose from, although if the patient is being funded by the Local Authority it will be a limited choice based on those homes which are prepared to contract with the Local authority for payment, and which have been assessed as meeting your needs. Nonetheless the choice is still yours, and in order for you to make a fair comparison and select the best home it is best for you to visit all of the available homes armed with a checklist.

Some of the answers can be obtained prior to any visit by checking out the home you wish to view’s report from the Commission for Social Care Inspection. These are obtainable by going to www.csci.org.uk.