It’s a question we regularly get asked here on agedcare101, especially around this time of year. Adult children have spent time with their mum and dad over Christmas and realised they aren’t coping and need to enter an aged care facility.
Whether you are planning ahead or a sudden event such as a fall or hospital stay has taken place, it’s worth being prepared when you visit an aged care home so you can work out if it’s the right facility for your loved one.
We have a complete list of questions on our website here, but I thought I’d touch on a few other things I think are important.
Firstly, talk to your family member about the type of support and services they would like to receive – you may find their ideas are very different from yours.
Then when you go to a home, talk to the carers and nurses – they are the ones who will be supporting your family member so get to know them.
Finally you can now access consumer reports on government-funded facilities through the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency (AACQA) website here. They offer insight into what current residents and their families think of the facility – it could be just what you need to make the final decision.
