How to select a care provider for a loved one
Posted on 3rd July 2020 at 14:51
Choosing care for a loved one can be a minefield. You've already make the difficult decision that support is needed so give yourself credit as that's some of the hard decision-making out of the way! It can be really confusing but there's help to help guide you through this.
1) Care Quality Commission
The CQC website is the best place to start if you are looking for a regulated, monitored care provider. All providers will have a CQC Report which will show how Caring, Well-led, Responsive, Effective and Safe they are, and there will be a summary report and a full report on this. Providers will also have a rating: Poor, Needs Improvement, Good and Well-led, so if you search by your area you can see this rating immediately, and read the reports of the company's that you're interested in.
2) Google Reviews
If you've narrowed your selection down to a couple of providers, then it's worth doing a Google Search and seeing if there's any Google reviews on the company that have been given by staff or clients.
3) Homecare.co.uk
This website is like the Trip Advisor of the care world! Clients and their families can leave reviews and ratings so it's a great place to look by company, or by location for honest opinions.
4) Call the company
You can get a really good feel for the company by calling them. Look out for things like how quickly the phone was answered, how polite the were and how they dealt with your questions. Ask for details about their values, staff and obviously charges - and cancellation periods. They should be able to send you further details so you can make more of an informed decision.
5) Book an assessment
An assessment should take approx 1 hour and should be attended by a senior member of the company (Registered Care Manager or Director). They will ask for lots of details to enable them to create a person-centred Care Plan.
Andrea commented ‘becoming a Dementia Friends Champion is one of the most positive things I've done and I am looking forward to giving Dementia Friends sessions within the Windsor and Maidenhead community’.
We are inspired and look forward to the rest of the staff here at Nest Homecare becoming Dementia Friends Champions too.
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