What do you / your loved ones look for in a care home? Share your thoughts with CQC - £300 Love2Shop voucher to be won NOW CLOSED

location being close to family and friends
cleanliness
reputation
high standard of care and safety
and a nice friendly atmosphere and a feeling of happiness and home

My mum is in a home and when we went to see this home the staff felt friendly and caring she moved in and hated it because she had dementia always saying 'I want to go home' she still says it sometimes now even after three years she has moved from downstairs to upstairs she has good care most of the time but I hate the smell of urine covered over with air freshener most dementia patients have incontinence and that is the most degrading thing of all. A care home should be friendly open and welcoming activities should be available to those who want it and relatives should be welcomed to join in . All questions should be answered and dealt with. Reassurance for the family that have had to make the hardest decisions of their lives should be taken into
Consideration.

I am looking for the attitudes of the staff

Care and cleanliness ... not that usual cabbage smell!

My main concerns would be the happiness of the residents and I would ask as many as I could about their level of satisfaction with the care they receive. Also activities would be a priority as my mother has led an active life with many interests.

A warm, friendly and comfortable environment where everyone seems settled and cared for. My Grandad is in a home, and it has been fantastic for him.

I havn't yet had to look but when I do I'd expect to find the following ;
1. Friendly and professional care staff
2. A welcome feeling
3. Residents that look happy
4. Entertainment for residents/ thhings for them to do outings etc

I think first impressions count for a lot and talking to other residents and their visitors. Is there an equivalent of trip advisor for care homes? If not, there ought to be!

My mum went into a care home in January 2015 after struggling at home for about 6 months after a fall. I think it is important to have someone with you to discuss the homes you visit (if you are lucky enough to have a choice). My sister and I went together and had a set of questions/criteria that we used for each home. After obvious things like reading reports about each home and looking at cleanliness and staff qualifications the attitude of the staff was a big thing for us. We also asked to see the room that was available and our mum was used to a garden so we wanted her to be able to look out at a garden. Activities that the care home provided were important as we didn't want her to be bored. We found a lovely care home and after the initial few weeks of settling in she has been well cared for, very happy and her health has improved as she is well looked after.

I would want to be have a shower (not a bath) daily.
Pleasant and clean surroundings.
Good quality food.
Visiting times that are flexible.
Bedrooms that are personal.
Enough staff to be able to take time to care.

My mum spent nearly 9 years in a wonderful nursing home. She had a catastrophic 'bleed' stroke and had little communication or movement. But we chose it because it looked and smelled like a normal home. Her room overlooked the garden, it was bright and sunny and always spotless. The staff were attentive, professional in manner n dress. But above all they cared for our mum, who was always spotless, and smelled like she had just come out of the bath!
In the few weeks of hospitalisation prior to her move, she developed bedsores, and when I visited (everyday), she was in a state of disarray, had been lying in urine , or was unclothed through her distress, or had her food/ drink on her tray out of reach (not that she could have eaten or drank unaided). BUT she could see! Often given tea, when repeated told them she only drank coffee. Her nursing home had none of those issues, with open visiting, I never saw anything of concern. It was the most expensive of all that we visited, but it was the best.

Quality care, atmosphere and. above all, compassion from staff.

make more than one visit at different times. You can usually get a feel from the atmosphere and how other residents appear. check on cleanliness and don't be afraid to ask questions. location can be important as often people like to know the area they are in, even if they can't go out, also it can be easier for friends and old neighbours to visit.

no smell of urine.. shows they aren't neglecting incontinent residents

A friendly environment and carers who actually enjoy working there and have stayed for a period of time. Respect for the residents, but also attention to detail ensuring personal care is carried out as well as general supervision of residents.

I would look for cleanliness, friendly staff and a generally good atmosphere

When my mother in law had to go into a care home for a short time we made sure we could visit whenever we wanted.

If I ever used one then it would have to be a nice, happy environment, clean, friendly & caring staff...

Cqc rating, regular staff who are happy, hands on management, stimulation, care, and attention

That the people living there are happy, that the staff care and that their report is good

It's clean, has a good atmosphere with kind staff. If the residents seem happy then something is going well, and they look well cared for, clean and well fed/nourished.

I would certainly look for cleanliness, in both the home itself and also the residents. The staff should be caring, and the place open to visits at any time. I would worry if there were restrictions on something like that. The only way to see if the other residents are happy is to talk to them :-) You have to look at every single aspect of life there before making such a momentous decision.

has to be clean, staff friendliness, facilities, interaction,

Clean, a home from home and friendly staff that do not treat you like a child

FIRST IMPRESSIONS- If it's clean, doesn't smell bad, if the residents look happy

STAFF- If they speak your language well, if they are welcoming and interested, I would check the ratio of staff to residents and that there was a senior manager on at all times, as well as checking the staff qualifications.

IN GENERAL- Check that I would be allowed to visit at any time, that they have enough social activities to participate in and that they don't have to stick to a rigid routine. See sample menus and visit at mealtime to see whether food quality/portion size is adequate.