Top 5 Things to Consider While Choosing an Old Age Home

by Vardaan Hospital Health & Medical Services

The idea of senior care homes is something most of us don’t even want to consider at first. But when the care for senior citizens can no longer be done properly in the home environment, finding a good senior care home might become a challenging task.

If your loved one is capable of deciding for themselves or discuss their wishes about the best nursing home for them, then you should acknowledge their choices. However, if they’re incapable to do so due to some impairment and illnesses, then you need to be ready to make the right decision for them.

According to Vardaan Senior Citizen Center, the best place for senior citizen care India, the key qualities to look for in the perfect senior care homes are:

Location and Size

The location and proximity of the nursing home from your place is the most important thing to consider while choosing the perfect nursing home for you or your elder ones. If you’re the one needing care, then you will want to stay as close to your family as possible. And if you are looking for a nursing home for your loved one/elder one, then you will want them to be near to you and be able to visit them frequently. Or, you will make sure that a trusted family member lives near the nursing home, who is also willing to support your loved one on your behalf.

The size of the senior citizen care home is also an important factor to consider. A place where there is enough space to walk around, enough people to socialise with, enough space for peace and privacy, etc is extremely important. It will help the residents decide where they want to be and what do they want to do, without feeling confided.

Services

Different senior care homes offer different services and health care facilities. So, it is important to find out which facilities and services are provided in the one you’re considering.

Other than the basic needed services for your loved one, you should look for a nursing home that also –

Provides timely and nutritional meals.
Has a well trained medical staff available 24*7.
Has an adequate security system so that safety shouldn't be a concern.
Has a community spirit among the residents. This will prevent loneliness, depression, homesickness, etc in the residents and make the atmosphere more lively.
Provides special health care for senior citizens for different patient needs. For eg., if a senior citizen is diagnosed with dementia, you should choose a nursing home with a specialized unit to care for dementia patients.

Staff

The staff members of the senior care homes are the ones who are going to live close to your loved ones. They will ensure the safety of your loved ones and make sure that they are being properly taken care of and all of their needs are met. So, the attitude, expertise, and professionalism of the staff are extremely important things to consider. Make sure that they are experienced, polite, caring, respectful, compassionate, etc. towards the residents.

Independence in Making Choices

Moving your loved ones to a senior care home can be a scary experience, especially if they are not allowed any independence when it comes to making their choices. While it is true that the person in care might not be able to do most of the things like how they used to, but some aspects of their life should remain in their control, as long as they are mentally capable.

Your loved one should have a say in deciding their mealtime, sleep and wake time, what they want to wear, which activities they want to take part in, if they want to socialize or be left alone, etc. These decisions should be up to them so that their every move isn't controlled by the staff.

Flexible Visitation

While some senior care homes offer open visiting hours, but since the pandemic, some have tightened the visitations due to the risk of Covid-19. While searching for a senior care home, make sure that there is proper scheduling for in-person visits and ways for communicating with your loved ones. Ask them if they allow window visits or video calls facilities. This will prevent your loved one from feeling isolated, which is a serious hazard.

While choosing the right senior citizen care India home for your loved one may be quite challenging, but it's possible if you focus on all the points that we discussed above.

Apart from this, you should also notice any red flags like poor violation history, bad reputation, incompetent administrators, unhygienic environment, improper care system, etc in a senior care home.

Do your research, follow these tips. You'll find the perfect senior care home for your loved one soon. Stay positive!