Nursing home for the elderly.

[AniaSM]

Are there any resources on the internet where I can check the reputation of a nursing home?

[dot.hawkes]

Hi ania, my cousin has been looking these last couple of days for a hospice where my aunt can be comfortable, before we knew how poorly she was, he was looking for a nursing home and he started with this site:

http://www.csci.org.uk/

Dotty

[jiggy-gb]

Dot's given you the best site there. I used to work with social workers for the elderly and they swore by that site, it's like a care/nursing home bible. You can also ask your local social services for info, they should carry out annual reviews on all homes and will help you pick out the most suitable place should that be necessary as a result of your findings.

[AniaSM]

Thanks dot and jiggy. I read ther report on the nursing home I have in mind. Im glad to say it was very favourable. I feel better for it. Thanks again.

[campbellking]

I work in a hospital. Social workers aren't officially allowed to recommend a nursing home to you, but are supposed to give you a list. However, a social worker suggested to me that the way round this was to ask 'which home should I look at first?' Different homes suit different people, some may prefer a quieter environment, others may offer more activities etc. Most people are also taken in a trial basis initially, so the option is there to move after a few weeks.

[VillageVicar]

Whilst reports on the internet can give you �static� details, there is nothing better than your own visits. I would suggest that you come unannounced, possibly more than once, and at different times of the day.

I visit countless nursing and care homes. Some, I�m delighted to enter and I can immediately feel the warmth and genuine care for the residents. In others, my concerns are so high that I�ve actually looked in windows before entering.

It is a disgrace how so many of our elderly become shunted away into waiting rooms of death. This disgrace extends to not only nursing homes, but our hospitals as well.

If you�re looking for a place that will care for someone you love, in the caring and nurturing way you would, the only real way to get a good mental image of the home is to experience it first hand.

I offer you a note from my diary last year as an example:

http://bigworldsmallboat.blogspot.com/2006/03/ its-life-jim-but-not-as-we-know-it.html

You may also gain valuable information from speaking with other people who have had to take similar journeys.

I wish you every success.

Fr Bill