Choosing the Best Aged Care Facility for Your Loved Ones

Choosing the best aged care facility for your parent, family member or friend can be a challenging experience. We all want what is best for our loved ones, but with so many providers and options available, all offering a slightly different service, it can be hard to decide what will best suit their own individual needs. Choosing an aged care facility is a big decision. To help you make an informed decision, we have gathered some key things to consider when looking at aged care options.

What Does Your Loved One Want?

Moving into residential aged care can be daunting for older people. Many prefer to live in their own homes and retain as much independence as possible. It is sometimes possible to provide ample care at home, using home care and private nursing services. However, some older people will need to move into an aged care facility. 

Always consider the preferences of your loved one when making a decision. While you can assist them with researching options, asking questions, and speaking to their healthcare providers, ultimately it is their life. They need to feel comfortable and satisfied with their living arrangements. What they want to do should be a deciding factor in the final choice.

What Type of Care Does Your Loved One Need?

There are many aged care facilities, and different ones will cater for a variety of needs. It’s important to understand the level of care that an older person requires so that you can find aged care that meets their needs.

To help determine the level of care and to find out what kind of assistance an older person is able to access, you can arrange an Aged Care (ACAT) assessment. These assessments allow you to access services that are subsidised by the government. 

Low Care Needs

Low level care provides accommodation for people who may need some help with day-to-day activities such as dressing, bathing, toileting and more. They may also need some nursing care and help with medication. Sometimes, older people with low care needs can be assisted using at home care services instead.

High Care Needs

High level care provides for people who need continuous nursing care and assistance with all aspects of everyday life. These care facilities will have medical staff on hand at all times to deal with any health issues or incidents. 

Complex Care Needs

Some older people will have conditions that make caring more complex. This could include challenges such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, or it could be a physical complaint or mobility issue. When this is the case, it’s important to ensure that their needs are going to be met in the aged care facility of your choice.

Combined Care 

Some residential aged care homes will provide both low and high care to residents, so that older people who move into the facility can remain there even if their care needs change. This can be very helpful to prevent the need to move older people multiple times and creates a better sense of home and continuity in the aged care facility. 

What Does the Aged Care Facility Look and Feel Like?

It may not seem like the most important factor, but the way an aged care home feels can be a big deciding factor when choosing the best facility for your loved one. Physical spaces can have a profound impact on our confidence, wellbeing and positivity. It is vital that your loved one feels safe, comfortable and settled in their new home.

Always visit potential aged care facilities before committing to moving your loved one in. When you visit, try to get a sense of the feel of the home. Is it warm and comforting? Is it clean and tidy? Is it nicely decorated in a style that your loved one will appreciate? Does it smell fresh and airy? A space that is reminiscent of their own home is more likely to put an older person at ease and make for a simpler transition into care.

What Are the Rooms Like?

Aged care facilities will offer shared rooms, private rooms, or a mix of both. The personal preference of your loved one will determine what kind of room is best for them. Some people like the company of others, or even have friends or partners in residential care that they would like to share a room with. Other older people enjoy more privacy and space to themselves. 

Regardless of whether it’s a single or shared room, there should be space for your loved one to keep some personal items. Photographs of family, ornaments and trinkets, and even artwork all contribute to making their new residence feel like a home. You may even be able to move in some of their furniture, like a favourite chair or antique dresser. These little touches can mean a lot to a person who is unsure about moving into residential aged care.

What Kind of Activities Are Offered?

As we age, it’s important to keep our minds and bodies active as much as possible. A varied and stimulating range of activities keeps our brains working, reduces boredom and loneliness, and contributes to better overall health. When looking at aged care facilities, talk to the staff about what kind of activities will be offered for your loved one to participate in.

Activities could include outings to different locations, or things in the aged care home. Some of the common activities offered include games, musical performances, craft activities and social gatherings. Some facilities will arrange bus trips to local destinations. 

The activities that your loved one participates in will depend on their interests. If your loved one has mobility issues but would still like to go on outings, check with the aged care staff to ensure that they can accommodate this. If there is a particular activity they enjoy that isn’t offered, ask if this can be added to the list. 

What Kind of Health and Beauty Services Are Provided?

Older people like to look and feel good as much as anyone. Often, people who move into residential aged care don’t have the same opportunities to visit places like the hairdresser. If your loved one likes to have their hair done and other similar grooming activities, you can check if the aged care facility offers these services on site. Many will provide access to hairdressing, manicures and pedicures, and more. Often there will also be on-site podiatrists, physiotherapists, and other allied health professionals.

Where Is the Aged Care Facility Located?

It is always best to choose an aged care facility that is close by and convenient to loved ones so that an older person can have plenty of visitors and keep connected to their friends and community. Often this will mean choosing a facility in the same local area that your loved one lives in. Older people will often live in the same area for a long time and develop close bonds to neighbours and friends, who they want to stay in contact with even when they move into care. If they are still able to move independently in the community, it is preferable that they can do this in streets they are already familiar with. This makes the transition into care much easier.

Does the Aged Care Facility Cater For Your Loved Ones Religious or Spiritual Needs?

Many aged care homes are connected to a specific faith or religion. If your loved one is religious, they may prefer to go to one of these homes. For example, a Catholic-run aged care facility may offer Mass within the home, and an Islamic facility may provide special space and time for daily prayers. If you choose a facility that does not have any specific affiliation, make sure you tell staff about any religious beliefs of your loved one so that their rituals and prayers can be accommodated. 

Does the Aged Care Facility Cater For Dietary Requirements?

Nutrition is very important in older age, and a balanced and varied diet is vital to the health of your loved one. If they have allergies and any dietary requirements—such as being vegetarian, lactose intolerant, or diabetic—it’s important that the aged care facility is able to cater for this. 

Check the food that is offered to residents for quality and variety. You can ask to see the menu and visit the facility during mealtimes to see the food for yourself. Eating the same food over and over can get very boring and may make your loved one lose their appetite. Delicious and nutritious food is the best thing to keep them eating well and retaining a healthy weight. 

Does the Aged Care Facility Have Strict Rules or Routines?

Some aged care facilities will have rules in place to govern how residents can structure their day. It is preferable that your loved one has autonomy over their time and can make decisions about their own routine. Check what time meals are served and try to choose a place that matches your loved one’s existing times for eating. Some facilities will serve dinner very early in the evening, and this might not suit your loved one if they are a night owl and enjoy staying up late. 

If your loved one has dementia and relies on a set routine, make sure the facility can accommodate this. For example, a person with dementia may only be happy to take medication at a certain time of day, or when they are given a sweet drink afterwards. The more personalised and compassionate the care is, the better for your loved one.

What Staff Are Available?

There are two main types of staff at residential aged care facilities—nursing staff and other staff. Nursing staff are clinically trained and have a higher level of knowledge. Other staff may be care staff, or they could be people that work in the kitchen, laundry, administration and elsewhere.

When asking aged care facilities about their staff, check that they have an appropriate number of nursing staff available. Ask about the nurse-to-resident ratio if this number is low, like one nurse to every three residents, that is a good sign that your loved one will have access to nursing care whenever they need it. 

Aged care staff are often involved in personal and intimate parts of your loved one’s life, like showering and toileting. Older people may get embarrassed if they have different people doing this all the time. Ask if staff are permanent employees, as your loved one will be more comfortable if they can get to know their carers. 

When you visit the facility, speak to the staff and watch how they interact with residents. Carers should always be friendly, respectful and compassionate to everyone in their care. If you see any signs that carers are unprofessional or your loved one says they do not get a good feeling from the staff, this isn’t the facility for you.

What Does the Aged Care Facility Cost?

Price will always be a factor when making your decision. Aged care facilities can be very expensive and will often require you to “buy in” to secure a place. It’s important to know what government funding you are eligible for and to understand exactly what you’re paying for.

Costs for aged care facilities can be broken into three main areas: care, accommodation and other. 

Care Costs

This will include a basic daily fee. This is an amount that everyone in the facility will pay for each day that they are at the aged care home. There is also a means-tested care fee, which is a contribution that some people pay toward the cost of their care. This fee is determined by a means assessment.

Accommodation Costs

This is the amount that you will pay for the costs of your room. This can differ a lot between facilities, and on whether it is a private or shared room. 

Other Costs

This will depend on the aged care facility you choose. There may be additional service fees for upgrades and extras, such as specialised menus of food or higher quality room furnishings. These are not government-mandated costs. 

There is a lot to consider when choosing the best aged care facility for your loved one. The many options available can seem overwhelming at first, but if you do some research, speak to others for their opinions, and be sure to visit a few facilities, you will be better placed to make the right choice.