If you or a loved one need a little extra support, you might be considering care homes. But do you know how to choose a care home? What should you look for?

When you’re planning a move to a care home, you should make sure that you visit and meet the staff and residents. Check that the home can manage your needs, and look at their recent CQC ratings. 

In this guide, we’ll explain how to choose a care home. We’ll go over the things to look for in a residential care facility – and some red flags to avoid in care homes, too. Finally, we’ll tell you where to find care homes with vacancies.

How to choose a care home

Once you’ve decided that you or a loved one should move to a care home, the next step is finding the right one. But how do you choose a care home? What should you look for? If you don’t have any previous experience of care homes, it can be difficult to know where to start. 

You should always visit a care home before deciding to move in. When you visit, what are your first thoughts? Does it seem welcoming and friendly? Look around and ask yourself if you or your loved one could be happy there. Talk to staff and residents, if possible. 

When you’re choosing a care home, you should ask these questions:

  • Can this care home meet my needs?
  • What is its CQC rating?
  • What are the staff like?
  • Is it in the right location for me?
  • How much does it cost to live here?
  • Do I like the rooms?
  • Are there any accessibility issues?
  • Do other residents have similar care needs to me?
  • What activities do they run?
  • How much independence do residents have?

Let’s look at these in more detail. 

Meeting your needs

Talk to the staff honestly about your loved one’s health conditions and care needs. Can they support them?

What will happen if their care needs increase in the future? If you or your relative need more intensive nursing care, you might find that a nursing home is the right choice.

As well as care needs, talk to the care home about any other requirements. For example, if your loved one is more comfortable speaking another language, does the care home have staff who can communicate easily with them? If they follow religious or ethical dietary or hygiene practices, can the care home accommodate these? 

CQC ratings

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspects all adult health and social care services in England. They visit the service, and talk to staff, residents, and their families. You should be able to see a care home’s CQC rating displayed in the building, as well as on their website.

Care services are rated as Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, or Inadequate. The CQC asks a series of questions about each care service that they inspect:

  • Are they safe?
  • Are they effective?
  • Are they caring?
  • Are they responsive?
  • Are they well-led?

Look at the care home’s CQC ratings and latest reports. Do you see anything worrying in there, or does it sound like a service that’s safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led? 

Staff

Talk to several members of staff at the care home, and watch how they act with residents. Are they welcoming and friendly? Find out if your loved one will have a named worker who is primarily responsible for them. 

What qualifications do the staff have? Do they have particular expertise in supporting residents with needs similar to your loved one? 

Is there a high staff turnover, or have lots of carers worked there for many years? 

Ask whether your relative can make requests about staff members. For example, if your father wants to have male carers assist him with bathing and toileting, could the care home accommodate this?

Location

Ask yourself if you’re happy with the location. Is it in a convenient location for your family and friends? This is especially important if they plan to visit regularly. If the home is too far away, or not accessible by public transport, they might not be able to come and see you so often.

Location is also important if you want to continue being part of your local community. Do you go to a local church, volunteer at your grandchildren’s school, or take classes at a community centre? If so, you’ll want to make sure that you can still get there easily. 

Cost

Cost is often a consideration when you’re choosing the right care home. 

How will you be paying for your care? Are you getting help from your local authority, or self-funding your care? Or do you qualify for NHS continuing healthcare funding? 

Ask the care home how much you will pay each week. Are there any additional charges? Activities, hairdressing, chiropody and companionship care might all cost extra.

Rooms

Did you like the bedrooms in the care home? If you want to bring your own furniture, or make changes to the décor, is that allowed? Is there space for your personal belongings, as well as any mobility aids you might need?

Will staff respect your privacy if you want to keep your door closed?

Some care homes have en-suites, whereas others have shared bathrooms. If having your own bathroom is important to you, make sure to ask about this.

Accessibility

If your loved one needs additional support because of a disability, make sure that this care home is suitable for them.

This might include:

  • Level, step-free access to buildings, bedrooms, and communal areas
  • Wide corridors and doorways for wheelchair users
  • Braille signs for blind and visually-impaired residents
  • Induction loops for people who use hearing aids
  • Specialist fire alarm systems for deaf and hearing-impaired residents

Other residents

An important part of moving to a care home is socialising with other residents. Many people choose to move to a residential facility because they’re lonely or isolated. Because of this, it’s important to make sure that you’ll get on with other residents in your care home.

You may want to ask whether other residents have similar care needs to you. For example, if most residents have dementia and high care needs, and you simply need some help with your medication, this care home might not be the right fit for you.

Activities

Most care homes plan a range of activities for their residents. Ask to see this week’s timetable. Is there something that your loved one would enjoy?

Independence

There’s a lot of variation among care homes. A good care home should encourage residents to have a lot of independence, empowering them to make their own choices. Ask whether residents regularly go out by themselves, choose their own meals, or set their own schedules. 

Other considerations

You may have your own priorities as well. For example, you may want to know if any of the staff speak your first language, whether you can take your pet with you, or if the home can meet your dietary requirements. Some potential care home residents will want to make sure that they can keep their own GP, optician or chiropodist, too. 

Before you start making enquiries, think about what’s important to you. 

How to choose a care home for dementia

If your loved one has dementia, or struggles to communicate, it’s even more important to choose the right care home. They may not be able to tell you if they aren’t happy.

When you’re looking for a care home for someone with dementia, you may want to visit by yourself first. If it seems suitable, you can then arrange a return visit with your loved one. 

Look for specialist dementia care homes, or facilities that care for other residents with dementia. Check to see if the staff have training in supporting people with a dementia diagnosis. Do they run reminiscence groups, or other meaningful activities that can help people with memory difficulties?

Watch how staff interact with other residents with dementia. Do they talk to them respectfully?

If your loved one wanders or displays other challenging behaviour, ask how the care home will keep them safe. How do they handle Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards?

Red flags to look for in a care home

We’ve talked about what to look for in a good care home. But you should also consider the red flags, signs that a care home might not be the right place for you or your loved one.

Red flags to look out for in a care home:

  • Facilities that won’t let you visit, or staff who won’t talk to you: If a care home doesn’t want prospective residents to visit, ask yourself why. If you visit a care home and staff don’t want to talk, it could be because they’re rushed – this could be a sign of understaffing. Alternatively, they might not know the answers to your questions – a possible sign of poor training.
  • Vague pricing: If a care home can’t give you a clear idea of costs, be wary. This could be a sign that they’re disorganised, or that they’re deliberately hiding the full fees from you. You might find that your bills are higher than expected.
  • Poor CQC ratings: Steer clear of care homes with bad CQC ratings. Look at CQC reports and, if you have any concerns, ask the staff what they’re doing to improve. 
  • High staff turnover: If staff are regularly leaving the care home, it can be unsettling for residents. It’s also often a sign that the staff aren’t happy – and unhappy carers won’t always provide the best care for clients.
  • Poor hygiene: Sometimes you can tell that a care home isn’t hygienic when you walk in. Perhaps you can smell unpleasant odours, or see dirty floors and surfaces. If the facility isn’t kept clean, residents are at high risk of infection. 
  • Few or no activities for residents: Good care homes make sure that their residents are engaged and active. Even if most residents have high care needs, severe learning disabilities, or advanced dementia, they can still benefit from a fun activity programme. If a care home doesn’t offer activities, avoid it.
  • Bad reputation: Ask around and see what local people say about the care home. Talk to carers who have worked there, residents, and family members. They’ll know the full details of life in the home – so, if they don’t have positive things to say, move on to another care home.

If you notice any of these things in a care home, be careful. 

How do I find care homes near me with vacancies?

There are a few ways to find a care home near you: ask local friends and family for recommendations, talk to your social worker, or look at the list of care home vacancies on Find Your Room. 

Searching online for “care homes near me with vacancies” will often just give you a list of local care facilities – with no guarantee that they have availability for you or your loved one. Then, you’ll have to spend time calling or emailing multiple care homes, trying to find a room. However, Find Your Room only shows you rooms that are currently available, saving you time and simplifying your search.

Conclusion: How do I find a care home?

Finding a care home can feel like a daunting task. If you or a relative need care, try to visit several care homes and talk to staff and residents. Ask whether prospective care homes can meet your needs, look at their CQC ratings, and consider the location and costs. 

Whether you’re looking for a care home, nursing home, or supported living solution, Find Your Room can help. Start your search for a care home today!