WESTERN AUSTRALIA 2021
AgedCareGuide.com.au
79
Frequently asked questions about moving into an aged care home . . . Making the transition to residential aged care can be daunting and a life‑changing experience.
How will I know when it’s time to move into a nursing home?
Making the decision to move into a nursing home comes at different times and for a variety of different reasons, all depending on the person, their care needs, their support network or financial status. Common reasons for making the move from home to a nursing home can be:
Unsuitable personal care in your own home – this can mean that
you require higher personal care support than you are able to access at home through either home care support services or the care of family and friends.
After a crisis – whether it be a fall or medical episode, a crisis of any kind can certainly play a part in making the decision to move into a nursing home to ensure you get the 24 hour support and care you need.
Temporary respite or short-term recovery – access respite in a
nursing home when your carer is away, for a period of time or while you may need to recover from surgery, before moving back into your own home after you have fully recovered.
Remember it is important to find the right nursing home for you so before you sign the dotted line, why not visit, inspect, and talk to people at the nursing home you are considering.
Is there a trial period to see whether I like the home? It is important to make sure you are happy with the nursing home you are moving into and be confident it will meet your needs because it is going to be your new home. ‘Trialing’ a nursing home by booking in for temporary residential respite will give you a taste of what life is like living in the nursing home and may help you in making that final decision of if it is the right home for you. It may also be beneficial to visit the nursing home at different times and on different days to see what staffing levels are like, what activities are on, and to talk to different people about the place.
How will I know if the home is of good quality?
There are a number of ways that you can look into the quality of a nursing home – ranging from sourcing other people’s personal experiences, right through to experiencing it for yourself.
Frequently asked questions
It’s important you make the move confidently and know what to expect. Here we answer a few common questions about moving into an aged care facility.