5 essential tips to finding a care home in Hampshire and Surrey
Finding a care home for your loved one can be a daunting task. With so many care homes in Surrey and Hampshire, it is essential to conduct research before choosing a private nursing home. Thankfully, there are many tools available to check the credentials and ambience of a nursing home before making your choice.
Compiling a list of questions is a helpful start. Many family members have similar questions, such as: “How can I be sure that staff will treat my relative kindly?” and, “Will my loved one be happy in the private nursing home I choose?
Here are our top five tips for finding a care home in Surrey and Hampshire for your family member:
1. Online reviews
Online reviews are becoming increasingly influential in our decision making. Whether choosing a gift, a local restaurant, or a nursing home, online reviews play a powerful role in the choices we make. And a good nursing home will have plenty of positive reviews online. Families of nursing home residents willingly share reviews if they are impressed by the care that their loved one has received.
One of the best online directories for nursing home reviews is carehome.co.uk. This well-respected website is a must when searching for a nursing home. Those submitting a review on carehome.co.uk provide a summary of their experience – or their loved one’s experience – along with a rating, according to how likely the reviewer is to recommend that nursing home to others.
Hill House nursing home on the Surrey and Hampshire border, has a particularly high review score on carehome.co.uk of 9.9. Consistently large scores help instill the confidence that families need when making such an important decision. If you are finding a care home, the reviews for Hill House Nursing Home on here.
In addition to carehome.co.uk, Google and Facebook are also excellent places to conduct research when searching for the best private nursing homes in Surrey and Hampshire.
2. Quality Care Commission
Every nursing home in Surrey is inspected by the Quality Care Commission (CQC).The CQC is the independent regulator of health and social care in England. They produce a report on every private nursing home in the UK. And, helpfully, the CQC speaks to residents and staff as part of their review process, and the report includes their observations at the time of inspection. These reports are readily available online and easy to find on the CQC website. Nursing homes are each given a rating by the CQC. Those with a Good or Outstanding rating show that the nursing home is meeting expectations and performing well.
Read the CQC report for Hill House Nursing Home here.
3. Social Media
Explore the care homes social channels. Scrolling through a nursing home’s social media pages, such as Facebook, is a quick way to get a feel for that home. And, good private nursing homes in Surrey will post regularly on social media. Their social pages will be full of images of a thriving and happy home.
When trying to find a care home, it is wise to ask: “Is the nursing home running regular activity sessions?”, “Do the staff celebrate successes and mark special occasions?” and, “Do the residents look healthy and content?”. Active social media pages provide reassurance to the loved ones of the residents who live in a home – a key consideration when looking for the best private nursing home in Surrey and Hampshire for your loved one.
Hill House and Farnham Mill Nursing Homes have a strong presence on social media. We pride ourselves on positivity and believe that our residents’ happiness reflects on our social pages.
You can find our Facebook page here.
4. Are they vaccinated?
Ask and find out if all staff who work in the home have been vaccinated fully against Covid. 98% of all the staff at Hill House Nursing Home are now vaccinated.
5. Are agency staff used?
Ask and find out if a home uses agency staff. We believe it is much better to use permanently employed staff who know the residents and their care needs. We have never had to use agency staff at Hill House Nursing Home.
Summary
In summary, finding the correct private nursing home for a family member is one of the most important and difficult decisions that you will have to make. Using the above methods to compile a shortlist provides a positive start in the decision-making process. But nothing beats visiting a nursing home in person and this is highly recommended. When you make the right choice for your loved one, they will settle in quickly, and you will relax, knowing that your family member is safe, happy, and well cared for.
Hill House is a nursing home on the Surrey and Hampshire borders. Family-run for over 40 years, Hill House offers exceptional nursing care. If you are interested in finding out more contact Lucy Jesse on 01252 850236 or email on lucy.jesse@woodlands-hillbrow.co.uk.