Choosing an appropriate senior care centre for your loved one can be difficult. There are many options from long-term care, to respite care, to convalescent care.  In an ideal world, we’d keep our loved ones at home, but sometimes that option is difficult when an extra amount of care is needed.  We know putting a loved one into a nursing care facility is a difficult decision with an array of emotions that come with it, for both you and your loved one. According to the BC Care Providers Association, there are now 11,000 BC residents in facilities for you to choose from with a variety of care options. Here are some questions you should be asking.

What Medical Needs Are Provided?  

Does your loved one have a prescription medication or need help with pain management?  Before the senior enters the care home, meet with their family doctor who can assess and then create a medical care plan you can take to the senior care centre. Ask the facility what access the seniors have to doctors and medical staff before making a decision.

What Type Of Companionship Is Available?

In the middle of all the usual care duties that need to be provided, it’s easy to forget one of the most important parts of caregiving is actually companionship. It’s a well-documented fact that those seniors who live more fulfilled and enriched lives live longer. It’s part of a senior care facility to focus on not only physical health but mental too. A care facility should have plenty of activities to entertain and to allow seniors to be social.

How Clean Is The Facility?

When you do a tour of the facility, you should make notes of how clean the floors, walls, and tables are. Do you notice housekeeping cleaning? Ask about the staff’s hand-washing practices. It may be a taboo subject but hygiene is important. A dirty home can invite bacteria and disease, causing the residents to get sick quicker and can even lead to death.

How Do They Monitor Residents?

A good senior care centre should look at their residents’ care plans, monitor the performance of their care and speak with a medical professional if any adjustments need to be made. Ask them how they monitor and track whether a resident is declining or improving? Monitoring also includes consistent updates with their families so ask how they manage communication and discuss which method is best.

Do They Provide a Care Plan?

A senior care centre should help and collaborate with you on a care plan. The plan should start with addressing your loved one’s strengths and weaknesses. It is also necessary to create when your loved one first enters a senior care centre. It will help coordinate and communicate to the variety of doctors, nurses and support staff how best to treat the new resident.

What Type of Meals Are Provided?

Food preparation becomes increasingly difficult as we age. Seniors often become more sensitive to certain food groups and often can’t eat certain types of food. Ask the facility what their meal schedule is like and what your loved one will be eating. Ensuring your loved one is well-nourished can help them live a longer and happier life.

Do the Seniors Have Transportation?

Independence is important as you get older and often seniors have mobility issues so having transportation to doctor’s appointments and other activities is very important. Whether it’s being near a major transit line or scheduled outings on a bus, ensuring a senior can come and go as much as possible is beneficial.

Private Nursing Care at Lynn Valley Care Centre

Selecting the right senior care home is an important decision, and you must take many factors into account when making your judgment. At Lynn Valley Care Centre, our commitment to our residents and their families sets us apart, and we can assure you will get the best treatment. For more resources for selecting the best private senior care, check out Seniors First BC. For more information on our services and facilities, feel free to contact us.