{"id":983,"date":"2022-09-17T06:07:05","date_gmt":"2022-09-17T06:07:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/villages.com.au\/?p=983"},"modified":"2022-09-21T03:42:12","modified_gmt":"2022-09-21T03:42:12","slug":"15-things-to-look-for-on-your-aged-care-home-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.villages.com.au\/health\/15-things-to-look-for-on-your-aged-care-home-tour\/","title":{"rendered":"15 things to look for on your aged care home tour"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"983\" class=\"elementor elementor-983\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-8c53ba3 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"8c53ba3\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-8ced4c8\" data-id=\"8ced4c8\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b52d15e elementor-drop-cap-yes elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b52d15e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;drop_cap&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.15.0 - 20-08-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p>C<strong>hoosing the right aged care home \u2013 whether it\u2019s for yourself or someone you love \u2013 can be a daunting prospect. Of all the decisions around care, this is the one you most want to get right.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When you go on a tour of an aged care home (which you should absolutely do before picking one), it can be easy to get taken in by the pretty d\u00e9cor and landscaped gardens.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s important, though, isn\u2019t how the place looks, it\u2019s <strong>how the residents are treated<\/strong>: if you or your loved one aren\u2019t respected as the individuals you are, then you won\u2019t be happy, no matter lovely the place appears on the surface.<\/p>\n<p>Thankfully, a registered nurse with 23 years of aged care experience <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au\/news\/sun-community\/gold-coast-nurses-checklist-for-assessing-aged-care\/news-story\/fb5140fac85b98dc900d6c05edd5fc95\"><strong>shared with the <\/strong><em><strong>Gold Coast Bulletin<\/strong><\/em><\/a> her tips on what to look out for when you visit a residential home.<\/p>\n<p><strong> Armed with this checklist<\/strong>, you\u2019ll have a better shot at making the right call.<\/p><p><br><\/p>\n<h3>1. What is the home like at different times of day?<\/h3>\n<p>There will be different staff ratios for morning and evening shifts, with different workers rostered on at each time \u2013 so be sure to visit at multiple times of the day.<\/p><p><br><\/p>\n<h3>2. Are there enough staff?<\/h3>\n<p>Watch and see if staff look tired, stressed, or rushed, or if they\u2019re being rough with residents, because if so, chances are the facility is understaffed.<\/p><p><br><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-1148\" src=\"http:\/\/www.getstaged.co\/site_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/iStock-1316205206.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"350\" height=\"233\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/iStock-1316205206.png 1000w, https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/iStock-1316205206-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/iStock-1316205206-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/iStock-1316205206-600x400.png 600w, https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/iStock-1316205206-585x390.png 585w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>3. Do the workers like their jobs?<\/h3>\n<p>If you visit on the weekend, when management usually isn\u2019t around, you can likely make small talk with staff members and find out if they enjoy their roles \u2013 and if they have manageable workloads.<\/p><p><br><\/p>\n<h3>4. What is the food like?<\/h3>\n<p>You\u2019ll want to be there at mealtimes so you can see how much food residents get, as well as get a sense of its quality and variety.<\/p><p><br><\/p>\n<h3>5. What is the atmosphere like at mealtimes?<\/h3>\n<p>Are there enough staff members to help residents, including feeding them if necessary? Are the residents seated comfortably? Is there water available on the tables?<\/p><p><br><\/p>\n<h3>6. Do residents like the food?<\/h3>\n<p>If they don\u2019t, how willing are kitchen staff to accommodate their likes and dislikes?<\/p><p><br><\/p>\n<h3><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-1155\" src=\"http:\/\/www.getstaged.co\/site_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/justus-menke-caQwgmo2lro-unsplash.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"375\">7. Does the facility look clean?<\/h3>\n<p>Does it smell of urine or faeces? Can you see soiled-linen trolleys, and are they overflowing?<\/p><p><br><\/p>\n<h3>8. Are there any spills on the floor?<\/h3>\n<p>Having a fall is dangerous for older people, so it\u2019s important that they\u2019re not at risk from slippery floors.<\/p><p><br><\/p>\n<h3>9. Are the residents well-groomed?<\/h3>\n<p>Are the men clean-shaven? Are residents\u2019 clothes clean? Do they have clean fingernails? Is there food left on their faces after mealtimes?<\/p><p><br><\/p>\n<h3>10. How do the bedrooms look?<\/h3>\n<p>Bedrooms should be well-maintained, with clean linen; you\u2019ll also want to know if residents can have personal items like photos.<\/p><p><br><\/p>\n<h3>11. How do the bathrooms look?<\/h3>\n<p>They should be clean and tidy, with fresh towels available.<\/p><p><br><\/p>\n<h3>12. Is there enough water?<\/h3>\n<p>Australia has a hot climate, so a water jug and glass for each person is a must.<\/p><p><br><\/p>\n<h3><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-1151\" src=\"http:\/\/www.getstaged.co\/site_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/vlad-sargu-ItphH2lGzuI-unsplash.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"350\" height=\"234\">13. Are the blankets adequate?<\/h3>\n<p>Older people generally have poor circulation, and thus feel the cold much worse than others.<\/p><p><br><\/p>\n<h3>14. What activities are available?<\/h3>\n<p>Can residents go outside or to the shops? Are there regularly organised activities they can participate in?<\/p><p><br><\/p>\n<h3>15. How regularly do patients\u2019 GPs visit?<\/h3>\n<p>Especially as you get older, it\u2019s important to have regular visits with your doctor.<\/p>\n<p>Remember \u2013 if something about the home seems off, you should shop around and look for the best option you can find. After all, you wouldn\u2019t want to send your loved one to a place you wouldn\u2019t want to live in yourself!<\/p><p><br><\/p>\n<p><strong>If you are confused on where to start when getting yourself or your loved one into care, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yourconcierge101.com.au\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">YourConcierge101<\/a>.<\/strong> All you have to do is answer 17 multiple choice questions, and we&#8217;ll provide you with a tailored toolkit with tips and tricks for your situation, as well as some aged care facilities that might suit. Best of all? It&#8217;s absolutely free.<\/p>\n<p>Click the button below to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<!--HubSpot Call-to-Action Code -->\n\t\t<span class=\"hs-cta-wrapper\" id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-bcd97ea9-8a05-4ac1-be1f-40823d630bbc\">\n\t\t<span class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-bcd97ea9-8a05-4ac1-be1f-40823d630bbc\" id=\"bcd97ea9-8a05-4ac1-be1f-40823d630bbc\">\n\t\t<!--[if lte IE 8]>\n\t\t<div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"><\/div>\n\t\t<![endif]-->\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/cta-redirect.hubspot.com\/cta\/redirect\/21150930\/bcd97ea9-8a05-4ac1-be1f-40823d630bbc\" >\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"hs-cta-img\" id=\"hs-cta-img-bcd97ea9-8a05-4ac1-be1f-40823d630bbc\" style=\"border-width:0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/21150930\/bcd97ea9-8a05-4ac1-be1f-40823d630bbc.png\"  alt=\"New call-to-action\"\/>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<script charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"\/\/js.hubspot.com\/cta\/current.js\"><\/script>\n\t\t<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\t\thbspt.cta.load(21150930, 'bcd97ea9-8a05-4ac1-be1f-40823d630bbc', {});\n\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How do you know you\u2019re picking the right aged care home? Here are 15 tips on what to look out for on your tour to make sure you\u2019re making the right decision.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[72],"tags":[74,95],"class_list":["post-983","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","tag-aged-care","tag-tips"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/983","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=983"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/983\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1369,"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/983\/revisions\/1369"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=983"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=983"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=983"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}