What to Look for in an Aged Care Facility

The job of looking for an aged care facility for your loved one can be an emotionally fraught experience. Having to admit that a close friend or family member can no longer look after themselves is tough, and you will want to find them somewhere that meets all of their needs while still maintaining a high level of care. What should you be looking for to meet these requirements with minimal transitional turmoil? Here’s a few hints to get you started.

Hygiene

Older people, particularly those in aged care, have far more delicate constitutions than those who are much younger. This means that even a simple cold can have catastrophic repercussions in some situations, so a high level of hygiene and clean environment should be a big priority at Aged Care Facilities. Ask if the facility uses a professional cleaner like AMC Commercial Cleaners . If they’re not, enquire why – the significance of cleanliness cannot be stressed enough.

Location

You’ll want to take the distance between you and your loved one into account when choosing an aged care facility. You don’t want to be too far away, in case of emergency, as well as for peace of mind. This is probably going to a scary, uncomfortable transition for them and the last thing you want is for them to feel like they’re doing it all on their own.

Dining

Still on the topic of delicate constitutions, dietary concerns rear their heads in old age so it’s very important to make sure your loved one will only get food that agrees with them. You should look at what sort of menu the facility offers and if they can cater to a specific allergy or dietary requirements. What are their portion sizes like? Can the staff can make sure that any medication is appropriately administered? These are all crucial questions.

Visitation

One thing a lot of families forget to check is visitation information. Are there specific hours you can drop by? Find about the procedure for checking your loved one out for the day if you’d like to take them to a family event or holiday. What happens if you need to get in after hours for something? Even simple things like determining whether the facility charges for parking time are worth finding out and may ultimately help inform your opinion.

Lifestyle

You don’t want your loved one confined to their room with nothing to do until you drop around to visit. Find out what sort of lifestyle and activity options each aged care facility offers. Do they have books, games, music, TV and movies? Find out if they take trips away with the residents to keep their minds and bodies active. What sort of fitness and exercise regimes do they have? These are all important things to consider.

These are just a few of the factors you can look at in an aged care facility to figure out if it is right for you and your loved one. Are there any facilities you would recommend? Tell us in the comments below!