Care Homes: What to Expect
You've decided what level of care - independent living or a care home - is the right option for Mom or Dad, Auntie Em or Uncle John. Congratulations! You've completed the first step of the process - becoming acquainted with the various terms and determining, with your loved one, what the best choice will be for them.
The next step in the process will be visiting various communities and finding the right one. To do that, you’ll need to know what features and services all homes at your chosen level offer, and what additional services might tip the decision-making balance one way or another. Here are some guidelines:
- Accommodation - Rooms in an independent living community are typically private studio or one-bedroom apartments with their own full bathroom and a small kitchen area. Rooms in a care home may be private or semi-private bed-sitting rooms; ward-type rooms are more the exception than the rule these days. Bathrooms may be equipped with two or three pieces, and may be private or shared with another room. Some communities include shared bathing rooms where residents can receive any assistance they need.
- Meals - An independent living community may provide anywhere from one to three meals in a common dining room; residents may be required or have the choice to prepare their own breakfast and lunch in their own kitchen. In a care home, all meals are provided. In either type of community, meals must be approved by a dietician to meet Canada Food Guide criteria
- Activities - All supportive housing provides some sort of recreation program or activities. In an independent living community, activities may be more self-directed, whereas at the care home level, there is typically more involvement on the part of recreational staff
- Housekeeping and Laundry - Weekly light housekeeping (clean bathroom, vacuum/sweep floors, wipe kitchen counter, and change bed linens) are typically offered in both independent living communities and care homes. Laundering of flat linens may also be included. Usually, there is an extra charge for personal laundry or extra cleaning.
Depending on the level of support, some or all of the following additional services, as well as others not listed here, may be provided routinely or at an extra charge:
- Personal Care - As time goes on, your loved one's care needs will evolve. Your mom may want more help with personal hygiene than she does now, your dad may need more mobility support, or your aunt might find herself forgetting to take her medication. Optional access to personal care services can make the difference between moving your parents once to a place they can call home for several years, or having to uproot them in a few years' time.
- Adult Day Care or Respite Care - Some care homes offer day-time activities and meals for seniors who are still living in their own homes, or respite care for anywhere from a few days to a month to provide caregivers (often family members) with a break. Getting to know a facility, its staff, and its services in a gradual way can help all of you check the place out, be certain about your choice, and feel really comfortable when the time comes for your Mom, Dad, or Uncle John to move in full time.
- Other Amenities - Small things can make a big difference, like having a private room onsite with a kitchenette and comfy furniture where the family can gather for a party, enjoying a haircut in an onsite salon that doesn’t drown out the hairdresser's voice with loud music, having easy access to transportation to offsite medical appointments or social occasions, or even having provision of medicals services onsite.
Be sure to take everything each community offers into account when doing your research and making your visits; if a campus of care is available, consider that as an option that will allow Auntie Em or Uncle John to “age in place.” Once the move is made, you may be surprised which features are making the biggest difference to your loved one’s feeling of being at home—and to your feeling, not only when you visit but when you say goodbye, knowing they are happy, safe, and in caring hands.
