In this article, you will learn 5 tips that take the stress out of finding care for your loved one.
The problem is that It’s not every day that we are tasked to seek care for our loved ones and so knowing where to start and who to choose may seem like an overwhelming task. With so many care companies to choose from, how do you identify the best companies and get the most out of the service they provide?
Generally, it is often believed that the more expensive something is, the better quality it will be. Thankfully, as this article will go on to show, this isn’t always the case, especially within care. There are many ways to look past the price and find ways to make your care more efficient and here is the best of them
- By law, every care provider is regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), who conduct regular inspections. Looking at these inspection reports is a good indicator of the quality of service being provided
- With over 8,000 care providers on its site, homecare.co.uk is the UK’s leading Homecare review website. This is a great resource as each provider has a score out of 10 based on feedback from real customers
- Check whether a care provider is a member of UKHCA. UKHCA is the national professional association for care providers. Its purpose is to raise the standards within care and so any care providers who are members are required to comply with their codes of practice
- When comparing care providers, it’s a good idea to find out the pay rates for their staff. Those who are providing lower rates of pay will most likely see a higher number of staff leave which will impact on the consistency of your loved one’s carers
- Ask any potential care provider what measures they have in place for providing continuity of staff
Bonus Steps to help you save time and money:
- It is a good idea to ask how much the weekly/monthly cost of care will be over the phone, some companies won’t provide this until a lengthy assessment has been completed
- It is also a good idea to discuss with any potential care provider if there are savings to be made on larger volumes of care. Typically, services with longer durations have cheaper rates. For example, the cost of 1 overnight visit is only marginally cheaper than the cost of a day of live-in care
This may seem like a lot to take in but remember:
Do:
- Make sure that you have read the CQC report of any potential care provider
- Use reputable review sites to see what past and current customers have to say about any potential care providers
- Check if a care provider is a member of UKHCA
- Have a clear idea of what your loved one’s needs are
- Be wary of any company that doesn’t provide you with the cost of the care over the phone
Don’t:
- Be frightened of the process, it’s rare that we need to find care for our loved ones. A good care provider should be respectful of this and be as helpful and informative as they can
- Assume that a higher priced service will deliver a higher standard of care
- Be afraid to ask questions, if there are any doubts in your mind you should always get these addressed
We hope that you found this article useful and it has helped take the stress out of choosing the right care provider. If you want to learn more about the organisations mentioned in this article then please follow the links below. Or, should you want more advice about finding the right care for your loved one, please call us on call us on 02392 704190 or email info@nightingalesgoldencare.com
