Whether you have already arranged a couple of viewings around one or more potential care homes for yourself, or else on behalf of a close family member, or are still assessing whether a care home is the right next move for you, your mind will no doubt be swimming with queries.

In an effort to help, here are five important questions to ask and why they are so vital. 

• What is the Up-to-Date Staff to Resident Ratio?

First and foremost, the most important factor in choosing the right care home to suit the individual needs and desires of your loved one is to ensure that there are enough staff and crucially, experienced staff, to look after the residents properly.

Usually, unlike other forms of senior living communities, residents of a care home tend to require additional assistance, be that from a medical standpoint or else in terms of their daily activities and as such, the staff to resident ratio is an important factor never to be overlooked.

• Are Dietary Requirements & Preferences Catered for?

Another question you must remember to ask when taking a tour is to ensure that the meals and snacks provided by the home, both for those who require (or often request) to have their meals brought to them in their private room, is whether they are not only tasty, but full of the right vitamins, minerals and nutrients too. 

A striking example of this is the leading care home in Yate, which prides itself on the provision of nutritious meals on a varied, rotating basis, so each and every resident consumes a varied, healthy diet. What is more, a full allergy and medical check is always conducted before the resident moves in, so whether your loved one is allergic to gluten, or else cannot stand carrots, everything dietary-related is taken care of. 

• How Do Visiting Hours Work?

Naturally, you will want to visit your grandparent, parent, friend or other relative (with gifts of course), as often as possible, but due to the nature of a care home and moreover, the importance of older adults and the elderly having a peaceful and stress-free sleep, no reputable care home would let you in at all hours of the day and night. 

Enquire as to whether you are able to simply turn up, or else visits have to pre-booked (even if just a couple of hours in advance), whether or not there are any standardized visiting protocols to be followed and if visiting slots have a timed limit. 

• How Do Staff Adapt to the Changing Needs of the Residents?

Finally, even though it is entirely possible that your elderly relative will stay the same, in terms of what they can and cannot do and in the context of the mental faculties but should any further issues with either their physical or emotional health develop, you need to be sure they can accommodate.

One of the best ways of checking this would be, with both the staff and residents’ permission, to spend a little time talking to the people who live there and asking them what they love most about their home.