One comment repeated by aged care workers in the Four Corners program this week was that families are often ‘taken in’ by the amenities offered at facilities – and these don’t always reflect the quality of the care.
So, what should you be looking for in an aged care home? This is our best advice:
- Check out potential facilities at different times. Visit at meal times to see what residents are eating and if they are supervised, and also during the day to see how residents spend their time and what activities are available.
- Use all your senses. Does the place smell clean and fresh? Is the place neat and orderly or does it feel over-regimented?
- Talk to the staff, other residents and their families – what do they think of the home? And most importantly, talk to the manager as they are in charge of how the home is run.
- Ask about the staff-to-resident ratios. How many staff are on hand during the week, on weekends and at night? What kind of training and qualifications do they have?
- Find out if there is someone on staff who liaises with residents and families. Do they have systems and processes in place for keeping you informed and how much input can families give on how the facility is run?
- Check if the home has any sanctions or notices of non-compliance. You can also read any recent accreditation, audit or Consumer Experience reports on the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency (AACQA) website here.
- Ask family and friends for recommendations – sometimes word of mouth is the best way to find out more about a facility.
Most importantly, try not to allow smart new buildings and nice interior design cloud your judgement. While a beautiful environment may be important, it doesn’t have any relationship with quality of care.
We also have a comprehensive list of questions to ask when you visit an aged care home on agedcare101 here.
