Five tips for choosing the best care home in Chesterfield
« Brookholme Care Home in Chesterfield
For those of us in Chesterfield who find ourselves in a situation where our parents require care, we face a difficult choice. Do we look for a care home for them to move in to, or do we investigate care at home?
Those who do decide on the care home option will have another hurdle to cross: which is the best care home in Chesterfield for our loved one?
In recent years, the quality of care within care homes has come under the spotlight. Now there is heightened concern around infection control.
There is much to consider and therefore the task of finding the best care home in Chesterfield may seem daunting. Luckily, there are several tools on hand to help you make the correct choice.
Once you have located the care homes in your local area, use these five tips to help you make an informed decision:
1. Check the online reviews for each care home
Whether choosing a holiday apartment, restaurant, or our next book to read, online reviews have become hugely influential in the way we make decisions today.
When searching for the best care home in Chesterfield there are many review platforms available to provide insight.
The website carehome.co.uk not only gives an overview of a care home; it includes reviews from family members and gives an instant picture of a care home’s strengths. The reviews on this website consider factors such as how likely someone is to recommend the care home to others – a telling sign of how good a care home is.
The best care homes in Chesterfield will have lots of positive reviews on carehome.co.uk. And in addition to care home directories, reviews on Facebook and Google will give you a taste for a care home and its pluses and minuses.
2. Study the websites
Conducting research through local care home websites will give you an instant feel for the best care homes in Chesterfield. A good care home will be transparent and offer ample information to help you draw up your shortlist.
Any care home that provides downloadable copies of their key information, contracts, and fees is showing that it has nothing to hide. Care homes that provide frequent communication to family members will naturally provide reassurance that you will be kept up to date, should your loved one move into that home.
The best care homes in Chesterfield update their websites regularly with news, events, and photographs. Some will send a regular newsletter that may be downloadable on their website – another great way to get a feel for the care home.
3. Look at the CQC reports
All care homes are inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). This independent regulator of health and social care in England produces a report on every care home in the UK.
Each care home’s report is easily accessible and easy to understand. The review summarises the CQC’s findings on their visit to the home and will give the home a rating.
A Good or Outstanding rating shows is that the care home is meeting expectations and performing well. Have look at the ratings for the best care homes in Chesterfield here.
4. Follow social media
Social media is the quickest way to get a feel for the energy and personality of a care home. An active Facebook or Instagram page will help you gauge the happiness of the residents and the enthusiasm of the staff.
The best care homes in Chesterfield will not be able to conceal their warmth for their residents on their social media pages. You will also get an understanding of the activity schedule within that care home.
A wide variety of activities – especially those that consider the varying needs and abilities of the residents – indicate that the care home has a passionate care home activities coordinator.
And if you feel that your loved one would prefer not to participate in the activities, look for quiet lounges and smaller groups in the background of the social media posts. A good care home will offer the perfect balance for everyone.
5. Visit care homes in Chesterfield
Many care homes offer families and prospective residents the chance to join them for half a day, to really get a feel for the home. And the best care homes in Chesterfield will actively welcome visitors.
While current restrictions make it difficult to visit care homes due to COVID-19, a good care home will offer a virtual tour, using technology to help you tour the home and see other residents.
Observing everyday life in a home will help you decide which is the right home for your loved one. And using a combination of the five tips above will give you everything you need to draw up your shortlist – ready to visit the best care homes in Chesterfield when they open their doors again.
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Brookholme Care Home in Chesterfield is a vibrant, family-run home. If you would like to know more about Brookholme, please call our care home manager on us on 01246 569662 or email info@brookholme.co.uk
