Choosing your care home

Choosing your care homeSeeing and sensing care Residents' preferences Care Inspectorate Gradings Other things to consider

Choosing a care home for someone you love isn't a decision that can or should be taken lightly.
It's often a decision you've not had to make before either. We've tried to make the entire process easy and understandable for you. Over the last twenty years we've helped thousands of people to make the right choice for their loved one by making sure that they have all the facts and figures they need, and that they feel entirely comfortable and confident about choosing the right care home.

The information and knowledge we are pleased to provide will hopefully help you to make an informed choice – a choice that you (and most importantly your loved one) will be delighted with. We've tried to answer some of the questions you may have – and also provided answers to questions that you may not have considered before.

Most importantly, we're committed to provide you with the information you need to help you ask the right questions to find the right care home and the right caring culture.

Please click on the links below for helpful advice on the type of questions you should ask when choosing a care home.:

FEES ACCOMMODATION AND SERVICES CARE CULTURE DOWNLOAD GUIDE

What's the weekly fee and what does it cover? Ask for a detailed breakdown.
What extras do residents pay for and what are the costs?
If more or less care is needed in future, will the care home be able to provide this?
How much notice should residents give if they intend to move out?
What fees are payable if a resident is in hospital or on holiday?

How is medication managed and can residents keep their own GP?
Can potential residents stay for a day or a meal to see what the home is like?
Are meal times fixed and are special diets catered for?
Can residents go to shops, a pub or a club as they please or by arrangement?
What personal possessions are residents allowed to bring?
How is personal laundry taken care of?
What activities can residents take part in?
What about being able to send a message to a resident by email?
Can the home accommodate varying religious beliefs and cultural needs?
What is the complaints procedure? Is there a residents' committee?

When you visit a care home, you might take the opportunity to check whether residents appear alert and occupied.

Is there a positive, friendly atmosphere and a clean, fresh smell?
Are staff spending time talking to residents and encouraging them to do things for themselves?
Do staff take time to help frail residents eat and drink?
Are there signs of depression? The charity Mind says you should check for residents with signs of insomnia, low energy, loss of appetite, poor concentration, feelings of guilt, hopelessness or an inability to enjoy activities.
Are there signs of malnutrition?
Age Concern says that signs can include weight loss (more than half a stone in the last three to six months), loose clothes or jewellery and ill-fitting dentures, recurrent infections, difficulty recovering from illness or an inability to keep warm.
Are all signs and notices up to date. Is someone obviously paying attention to detail?

We've produced a range of helpful guides that may answer many or all of the questions that you have about the range of care we provide. Choosing your care home, our experience with 'special needs' residents, getting help with paying fees and other popular topics. You can access all these guides and other helpful information from the download link of our website.

Click here to download our helpful guide to choosing your care home (PDF, 110Kb)

We hope this information will help you make an informed choice and one that you
(and most importantly your loved one) will be delighted with.

"The Balhousie Way" - Each of us delivering on our individual responsibility to provide excellence in care.

understanding care for the elderly and vulnerable At every Balhousie Care home your loved one will soon become part of the Balhousie family. Visit our homes and you'll see our staff showing genuine passion and dedication for their role and responsibiity in caring for our residents. You'll also see how residents enjoy the harmonious environment they now live in.

Our stringent recruitment and selection process ensures that Balhousie Care staff have what we call "people person" qualities. In other words, we look to employ people that are naturally given to caring in a genuine, sincere and committed way. This helps us to ensure that every resident is treated with sensitivity and respect always.

Our attention to detail and diligence in all that we do is evident at every Balhousie Care home. The ethos by which we care for our residents is very simple – "we look after them as if they were our own."

Visit a Balhousie Care home soon and we believe you’ll be convinced – your loved one is going to be in exceptionally good hands when you entrust their care to Balhousie Care Group. We warmly welcome and encourage visits so that you can see us delivering Balhousie Care in "The Balhousie Way" first hand.

Words of appreciation...

What Balhousie Care staff did was beyond the call of duty and we appreciate the work that made Mum's birthday special, even though we had to help her with the blowing out of the candles! Daughter of Resident at Balhousie North Inch Care Home
The thing I most enjoy is the interaction with residents and family members. Being part of a team that delivers high quality care, often in the latter years of an individual's life, while trying to promote their independence is a big responsibility. I think it's hugely important to be able to make that time as easy and comfortable as possible. Manager, Balhousie Lisden Care Home
We have always been impressed by you all at Balhousie - especially those who directly looked after Mum's day to day personal care. Also those who kept the home clean and tidy and had pleasant chats with Mum. Daughter of Resident at Balhousie North Grove Care Home