The decision to move into residential aged care is a big one! It’s so important to choose a residential aged care facility that is the right fit for you or your loved one.
Let’s look at some of the key considerations and questions to ask when comparing and choosing a residential aged care facility or nursing home.
What type of aged care do you need?
Firstly, what TYPE of care, and what LEVEL of care do you (or your loved one) need? The type and amount of support needed can influence what you may be eligible for, and the government funding you may receive.
Older Australians have three main options for aged care delivery:
Home care services
Home Care Packages are assigned to older, eligible Australians who require a little help to remain living happily and independently at home. When you receive home care, health care providers and other support staff will visit your home to help you with household tasks and health support.
Services can also be delivered to older Australians living in retirement communities.
Read more about Home Care Packages: Home Care Package Guidelines
Retirement villages
Retirement villages are an excellent choice for seniors who are looking to downsize but don’t need complicated care. Living in a retirement village can help you meet plenty of lifestyle goals, while accessing care services such as emergency call buttons and transport assistance.
Many have communal leisure facilities such as swimming pools and communal areas and can offer a sense of community and the opportunity for residents to forge social connections.
Home care services can be delivered in a retirement village. Many retirement village residents who are relatively self-sufficient receive extra help from a Home Care Package.
Read more about retirement village living: Residential Aged Care vs Retirement Living
Residential aged care facilities – aka Nursing homes or aged care homes
Residential aged care homes are the best option for older Australians who need a high level of help and support with daily living.
Aged care facilities provide comprehensive day-to-day support and nursing care, as well as meals, housekeeping and leisure programs to keep residents connected and as active as possible.
Most offer private rooms with ensuites and feature communal areas and facilities for socialising and lifestyle activities.
What makes a good residential aged care facility?
The best aged care homes take fantastic care of their residents and make sure they are happy and healthy. They also prioritise excellent communication with family members, to keep them up to date with the care and wellbeing of their loved one.
Your choice of an aged care home may be dictated by factors such as:
- Location
- Size
- Price
- The level of care you or your loved one needs
While many homes will have facilities to deal with all levels of health issues in older Australians, if you or your loved one has complex care needs such as extreme mobility issues or dementia, you will ideally select an aged care home facility that caters specifically to their needs.
Industry-leading residential aged care facilities offer features such as:
- Private rooms with ensuite bathrooms
- On-site chefs
- Sheltered outdoor areas
- Regular activities
- On-site cafes and parking for guests
- Appropriate staff to resident ratios
- A five-star rating
Read more about residential aged care: What do aged care homes provide? – Aged Care Decisions
Aged Care Decisions assists thousands of Australian families at every stage of the residential aged care journey – from finding and comparing vacancies to shortlisting facilities to organising tours and helping with administration and paperwork.
Connect with us now to explore aged care options tailored for you – with less stress and running around, and at ZERO cost to you.
Here’s how Aged Care Decisions’ FREE aged care matching service works:
How to choose a residential aged care facility
Besides location and price, other factors you might consider when comparing options include:
The five star rating system for aged care homes
The Aged Care Star Rating system was introduced in response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care to help families choose residential aged care facilities for their loved ones.
On a scale of 1 to 5, five stars indicates that the aged care facility delivers “excellent” quality of care.
What does the star rating system measure?
An aged care facility’s overall star rating is calculated using four categories:
- Resident’s experience
- Compliance
- Staffing
- Quality measures
How to find the star rating of a facility you’re considering
You can find star ratings on the My Aged Care website. Their ‘Find a Provider’ tool lets you filter aged care homes by overall star rating, or according to the four sub-categories listed above.
You can also search individual facilities or compare up to three homes at once using filters like location, cost, type of care, speciality, and culture.
Touring facilities on your options list
At Aged Care Decisions we absolutely recommend facility tours – and we can book tours on your behalf as part of our free service. On a facility tour you’ll get a first-hand look at the rooms, communal areas, and facilities, you can meet staff members, view the activities program, and check out the menu offered to residents.
A personal tour is the best way to learn as much as possible about each aged care facility you are considering, and after visiting their potential new home, your loved one will have a good sense of the surroundings and community they’ll be moving into.
This handy checklist lists the most important things you need to notice and evaluate.
A “Try before you buy” respite stay
A short, temporary stay in an aged care facility can be used as a ‘try before you buy’ opportunity and the familiarity it offers can help with the settling in process when a permanent move occurs.
Eligible seniors can access up to 63 days of subsidised respite care each year. If you have the luxury of time before placement becomes urgent, and if your loved one is eligible, respite care is a fantastic way to sample and become familiar with a facility.
Read more about respite care: The pros and cons of residential respite care for seniors
What to expect on an aged care home tour
When you take a tour of an aged care facility, expect to be introduced to staff members and residents. Be sure to ask them questions. You will be able to see what the rooms are like, and you can check out the dining room and the communal areas. Your guide should also talk you through the schedule of activities and explain what happens in terms of doctor’s appointments, etc.
List the questions you’d like to ask before you arrive, so you don’t forget anything.
Be aware that you may need to take a RAT test before you enter an aged care facility, and you may be required to wear a face mask while you are in communal areas of the facility.
This is to protect residents against not only COVID, but any flu outbreaks during flu season.
What are the best questions to ask when you visit an aged care home?
Here are some questions you might like to add to your list:
General care questions:
- How does the facility meet personal care needs
- How are care and support services provided at this centre?
- Will family and other loved ones be included in the care plan?
- What training and qualifications do the care staff have?
- How do you manage clinical care needs, such as administering medication or treating wounds?
- How many staff are on duty overnight?
- Is there always a Registered Nurse on call?
- What’s the facility’s aged care star rating?
- How are appointments with doctors and other health professionals managed?
Questions about rooms and facilities
- How big are the rooms/suites?
- What is the difference between shared and private rooms?
- What is available in terms of communal areas or gardens?
- How can the room be personalised?
- Are pets allowed on site?
Quality questions:
- What checks are in place to ensure quality services?
- What are you doing to maintain and improve the quality of the care you provide?
- Catering for dietary requirements and preferences
- Are special dietary requirements like allergies, cultural foods, etc catered for?
- What are the meal arrangements?
Lifestyle questions:
- How can residents stay active and engaged?
- What sort of social activities are on offer?
- Will I be able to suggest activities based on my interests?
- Are there any organised outings?
- Are there regular events for visitors and family?
Questions about support with day-to-day living
- How are residents helped with bathing, dressing, and going to the toilet?
- How does the facility support people to move around safely?
- How do the staff provide support at mealtimes?
- General aged care home policies
- What is the visitor policy for family and friends?
- How does the facility deal with resident concerns and complaints?
- How are the safety and security of the residents managed?
- What measures are in place for emergencies?
- What is the COVID outbreak policy?
You may not be able to ask every question during your visit, but you can send a follow-up email for further information.
Here’s some more information about preparing for facility tours: What to look out for on an aged care facility tour
Moving into an aged care home is a BIG step
If you have a family member transitioning to full-time care, it’s vital to make their wellbeing the highest priority. You may find that a facility that you like, because it is sleek and new, isn’t to your loved one’s taste because they prefer a homely environment with established gardens.
Read more: How to settle a loved one into aged care: we ask the experts
Aged Care Decisions is here to help.
Our FREE service can help you find and compare residential aged care vacancies that suit your unique needs.
Our custom-built software takes your location, budget, specific care needs and personal preferences, and creates a tailored residential aged care vacancy Options Report for you.
This report narrows your search down to only include available facilities that match your needs.
Essentially, we do all the running around for you.
We provide our service at NO COST to families because facilities pay us a set fee – which is the same for every facility – big or small. This means our service is 100% independent and we have no reason to recommend one provider over another.
Our supportive, personalised service is what makes the difference. We love what we do, we support you every step of the way, and our only priority is to help you choose a residential aged care vacancy that’s best for YOU.
Connect with us now to get started.
