Choosing a Care Home - Accommodation
All UK care home residents should be able to have their own bedrooms.
Some care homes offer shared rooms, but residents should only be sharing a room if they have chosen to do so.
You can't be forced to share a room.
Even if you do decide that you'd like to share a room, you need to make sure that you have privacy when necessary.
For example, there should be curtains that can be used if a member of staff needs to assist you with personal care.
Whether you are in a single room or a shared room, you should have a locker, or drawer that can be locked, in which you can keep personal possessions, and your bedroom door should have a lock on it.
It's important to ensure that you're going to feel happy and comfortable in your new home, so visit any care home that you are thinking of choosing and take a look at some of the rooms.
Are they clean and do they smell fresh? Is the décor to your taste, and is the furniture in good condition? Make sure that you can open the windows in your room if you want to, and that you can control the heating and lighting easily.
Ask the care home manager whether you can bring some of your own furniture with you and, if so, what items can you bring? Are you allowed to have a radio or a television in your room? Find out what sort of arrangements can be made for your visitors.
They should be able to stay at the care home overnight with you if you want them to.
If you have pets that will now be living with a relative, make sure that you find out whether or not they can be brought in so that you can spend some time with them.
It's also important to take a good look at the care home's communal areas.
How many communal rooms are there? Are there televisions or radios in any of them, and are there quieter rooms where you can sit if you don't want to watch TV or listen to the radio? Are there plenty of toilets nearby? What arrangements are made for smokers? Can you sit outside if you want to? Peace of mind is vital when choosing a care home, so make sure that any care home that you're considering has mobility aids, hand rails and other equipment to help you to remain as independent as possible.
The care home should be easy to get around if you're in a wheelchair or using a walking frame, and there should also be call alarms in the rooms so that you can alert a member of staff if you need assistance at any time.
There are many things to consider when choosing a care home, and it can take time to find the right one for you.
However, you can narrow down your options by finding out about the different care homes in your area using an online care homes guide.
You can then visit the ones that seem most suitable.
Some care homes offer shared rooms, but residents should only be sharing a room if they have chosen to do so.
You can't be forced to share a room.
Even if you do decide that you'd like to share a room, you need to make sure that you have privacy when necessary.
For example, there should be curtains that can be used if a member of staff needs to assist you with personal care.
Whether you are in a single room or a shared room, you should have a locker, or drawer that can be locked, in which you can keep personal possessions, and your bedroom door should have a lock on it.
It's important to ensure that you're going to feel happy and comfortable in your new home, so visit any care home that you are thinking of choosing and take a look at some of the rooms.
Are they clean and do they smell fresh? Is the décor to your taste, and is the furniture in good condition? Make sure that you can open the windows in your room if you want to, and that you can control the heating and lighting easily.
Ask the care home manager whether you can bring some of your own furniture with you and, if so, what items can you bring? Are you allowed to have a radio or a television in your room? Find out what sort of arrangements can be made for your visitors.
They should be able to stay at the care home overnight with you if you want them to.
If you have pets that will now be living with a relative, make sure that you find out whether or not they can be brought in so that you can spend some time with them.
It's also important to take a good look at the care home's communal areas.
How many communal rooms are there? Are there televisions or radios in any of them, and are there quieter rooms where you can sit if you don't want to watch TV or listen to the radio? Are there plenty of toilets nearby? What arrangements are made for smokers? Can you sit outside if you want to? Peace of mind is vital when choosing a care home, so make sure that any care home that you're considering has mobility aids, hand rails and other equipment to help you to remain as independent as possible.
The care home should be easy to get around if you're in a wheelchair or using a walking frame, and there should also be call alarms in the rooms so that you can alert a member of staff if you need assistance at any time.
There are many things to consider when choosing a care home, and it can take time to find the right one for you.
However, you can narrow down your options by finding out about the different care homes in your area using an online care homes guide.
You can then visit the ones that seem most suitable.
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