We understand the difficulties and emotions that come with choosing a care home for yourself or a loved one; this, along with the added complexity of navigating your way around the care sector can be confusing.
At Excelcare, we’re here to help support you and your loved ones to find the perfect home, where care is personalised to their specific needs, likes and dislikes.
What is a care home?
Care homes provide 24-hour care, 365 days a year and are suitable for people who need support and the comfort of knowing someone is there to help.
Social activities, events and meals are provided as well as cleaning and laundry services. People living in a care home benefit from having convenient access to support from outside professionals such as a GP, podiatrist and physiotherapist as well as the chance to meet people and develop new friendships.
What type of care can be provided?
Each of our care homes has a friendly and dedicated team who provide high-quality Nursing, Residential, Dementia, End of Life Care and Short term care.
Where to begin
The first thing you’ll need to do is speak to your local council about having a care needs assessment, which is free. Once you’re clear about your requirements, we’d recommend finding a care home that meets your needs and is in a suitable location for you. Click here to find your nearest Excelcare home.
What’s important to you?
The care home you choose will be your new home, with this in mind it’s important to think about the home comforts that mean the most to you, to ensure your priority needs are met going forward. You may wish to ask yourself or your loved one the following questions before you begin your search;
- Do I want to remain local to my hometown or current location to be close to my friends and family as part of a community I know?
- Do I want visitors to be able to visit me anytime?
- Do I need a home where my pet(s) can come with me?
- Do I want to be able to take some of my own decorations and furniture?
- Is it important that I have a private bathroom?
- How much can I afford to spend?
- Would I rather be in a large or small home?
- Do I want to partake in day trips and social activities?
If you’re currently considering a care home, we encourage you or your loved one to visit us for a friendly chat where preferences and requirements can be discussed. During your visit, we encourage you to speak to those who live and work at the care home as team members take you on a tour. You will also be welcome to join us for events and activities, mealtimes, and features.
Funding Care
How you or your loved one will fund a care home placement depends on a variety of factors such as your health care needs, level of income and also what capital you have such as savings and property.
Given the complexity of care funding, we would always recommend speaking to the adult services team at your local authority to request an assessment. If you need to fund or part-fund your own care, we would also recommend you gain advice from an independent financial advisor. Details of your local SOLLA accredited advisors, who specialise in the financial needs of older people, can be found here. If you are paying for your own care and support, you can choose any care home that can meet your individual needs.
Further information
If you have any questions around choosing a care home, our committed team are here to support you. With 31 care homes and a wide range of high-quality services, we believe we can always offer the right care to suit your needs. Visit our resources page for a library of useful websites and documents that will help you on your journey and feel free to contact us any time for a friendly, informative chat.