My friend or relative needs help. How can we find good quality care?
Most of us are lucky enough to take good health for granted, and so when the need arises for us or one of our relatives to accept support, it’s often a big, unexpected, and unwelcome surprise. So what questions should you ask when considering care in your own home? Lets explore the most important questions everyone should ask when considering care services.
Will the same Carers visit?
It is so important to insist on services that offer real continuity, where the same care professionals visit regularly, and are matched based on support needs and personal preferences, so a relationship of trust can develop.
When this sort of support is provided, and crucially, isn’t rushed, then care professionals can monitor and anticipate changes in health and respond accordingly. It is especially important with conditions such as dementia, something we’ll explore in a future article.
Continuity of care prevents hospital admissions, and trips to A&E. It also reduces the likelihood of crisis incidents that require much more significant intervention, such as very expensive respite care, or nursing home support.
How do I know if the staff will be any good?
1) Good care providers are selective about their staff, and make every effort to support them in their work and listen to their concerns. When researching a care provider look them up on Google and Facebook and see what their own staff have to say about them. No reviews isn’t a good sign.
2) Do a local search on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) website www.cqc.org.uk Ratings in England are either Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, or Inadequate. CQC reports are very detailed and will give a good indication of how the service is run and what they found in their inspection.
3) Speak to social workers, health professionals and community representatives to understand what they recommend. Don’t be afraid to ask questions to the provider about how they work. The time taken to discuss and plan your care should be sufficient to make is personal
For further details please call us on: 01903 206079 or visit us on www.homeinstead.co.uk/worthing-steyning
