Let Healthwatch help you choose a care home for your elderly relative

HEALTHWATCH is the independent consumer champion for people who use health and social care services.

We listen to what people like about services, and what could be improved, and we share those views with the people who have the power to make changes happen. We also help people find the information they need about services in their area.

When choosing a care home for your loved one, you may read that latest Care Quality Commission report but do you read the latest Healthwatch Enter and View report? Healthwatch has a legal power to carry out “Enter and View” visits to health and care services to find out how they are being run and make recommendations where there are areas for improvement. We speak to people using the service to find out what it is like for them.

Healthwatch and Independent Age have developed eight quality indicators that a good care home should have: Strong, visible management The manager should be visible, provide good leadership to staff and have the right experience for the job. Have staff with time and skills to do their jobs

Staff should be well-trained, motivated and feel they have the resources to do their job properly. Have good knowledge of each individual resident and how their needs may be changing

Staff should be familiar with residents’ histories and preferences and have processes in place for how to monitor any changes in health and well-being.

Offer a varied programme of activities A wide range of activities (and ensure residents can access these) should be available in the home and outside it. Offer quality, choice and flexibility around food

and mealtimes Adequate support to help residents who may struggle to eat and drink. Ensure residents can regularly see health professionals such as GPs, dentists or chiropodists

Residents should have the same expectation to be able to promptly see a health professional as they would have when living in their own home. Accommodate residents’ personal, cultural

and lifestyle needs Care homes should be set up to meet residents’ cultural, religious and lifestyle needs as well as their care needs and shouldn’t make people feel uncomfortable if they are different or do things differently to other residents. Be an open environment where feedback is

actively sought and used The process for making comments or complaints should be clear and feedback should be welcomed and acted on.

We recently visited Berkshire Care Home. We saw many good practices but heard from a resident that despite being offered various activities such as knitting, gardening and art, there was a lack of intellectual stimulation. We also heard how difficult it was for a resident in a wheelchair to get access to a dentist. Many dentists do not have hoists to move patients from wheelchairs into the dental chairs. As a result, there is a concern that not all care home residents are having regular check-ups.

To read any of our reports please visit our website.

Let Healthwatch know your views. Get in touch:

Phone: 0118 418 1 418 Website: www.healthwatchwokingham.co.uk App: Speak Up Wokingham (Free to download from Apple or Google Play) E-Mail: enquiries@healthwatchwokingham.co.uk Facebook: @healthwatchwokingham Twitter: @HWWokingham