In some instances, residents will find that they have to move from one care home to another. This could be for a few possible reasons; their current care home may be shutting down, the care home is increasing their fees over and above what you can afford, the resident may want to relocate to a different area so they’re closer to family members, or they may just not be happy in the care home they are currently living in.
It’s important that whenever a resident is moving care homes, that the process is as stress-free as possible, to ensure a smooth transition. In this article, we explain the steps to take when moving from one care home to another and how we make the process of moving to Country Lodge enjoyable.
Find a new care home that matches your criteria
If the reason for the move is due to the current care home not suiting your loved one, then what you don’t want to do is move to a new one and then have a similar issue. Speak to them and find out what it is about the home they don’t enjoy. Common issues that can occur are:
- Not receiving the care they want or expected – larger care homes sometimes don’t have the time or staff to provide the residents with the extra care they may need. This may be something as simple as not providing daily activities to keep the mind and body active, or missing out on sessions such as physiotherapy. We only accept 26 residents at Country Lodge and have nurses on duty 24/7. Find out more about our philosophy of care.
- Restricted visiting hours – some care homes only allow visitors at set times in the day. For some residents, this can feel restrictive as they are not able to see family and friends when they want to. Country Lodge has no visiting restrictions so you can come and go when it suits you, whether you stay for tea and cake, or even for lunch, our staff will make you feel very welcome.
- Lack of staff knowledge and skill – it’s important to know what level of care the staff will be able to provide. Have they got the suitable qualifications? Are they provided with additional training? Ask the manager for more information on this.
- The availability of outdoor space – access to a garden is hugely important.
Once you’ve established what you do and don’t want from a care home you can narrow down your search.
Suss out the new potential care home
If your loved one is having to move due to their current home closing down, you want to try and ensure that this won’t happen again. Whilst this occurrence is rare, there are some signs you can look for when doing your research to try and avoid this
It’s important to consider the following:
- Has it received a high score from the CQC? (Care Quality Commission) – you can look up all care homes and nursing homes in Worthing and further afield using the search tool on the website. They score the homes on various criteria which will help you decide if it’s suitable. You can view Country Lodge’s score here.
- Have they got any positive reviews from residents and their families – reviews are hugely important and will give you some insight into what the care home is really like. You can read some of our care home reviews here.
- How long has the care home been running? Whilst this shouldn’t be the deciding factor, for peace of mind, care homes that have been around for a little while should have built up a reputation. Whether that is good or bad, you should be able to find plenty of information online to back up what they are saying.
Visit Country Lodge
Sometimes, moving from one care home to another will be time-sensitive, so you will first need to establish which care homes in the area have availability. We currently have 4 rooms left ready for residents to move into, so if you are looking for care homes in Littlehampton, Worthing, and West Sussex, get in touch with us to arrange a visit and meet our manager and nurses on duty, we will be able to provide you with a full tour of our home and grounds, plus will be available to answer any questions you have. With various room types available, you’ll be able to see how our residents personalise their bedroom and make it their own.
Have a read of some of our other articles to help you when making your decision:
- Questions to ask when looking for a care specific nursing home in West Sussex
- What makes our Worthing nursing home different?
Get in touch with our team by calling us on 01903 830600 or emailing us on manager@countrylodgenursing.co.uk.