The ultimate guide to planning your move to an aged care facility
- Replies 16
At some point in our lives, we have to face the reality that we can no longer do the things that we used to do.
We can no longer lift as much weight as we used to, no longer perform household chores, nor do simple tasks without the need of assistance.
We don't have to be embarrassed by what we can no longer do as we are still valuable members of society. After all, we paid our dues and deserve the best in life.
Having said that, one of the realities that seniors face is the fact that they do eventually need extra assistance and care when they can no longer take care of themselves alone.
One of the realities that seniors face is the fact that at some point, they would be needing assisted care. Credit: Getty Images.
We're certain that at one time, some of our dear members here have discussed with your family and loved ones about moving into an aged care home.
That’s why here at the SDC, we do our best to support you in our capacity by providing you with useful information that you and your loved ones can use for making this important decision.
We would like to share with you some expert advice from professionals working in aged care homes and personal experiences from those who have made the move to enrol their parents in assisted living facilities that we collated from Reddit to give you an overview of the whole process.
General planning and preparations
Planning ahead ensures that you will be given the appropriate amount of care that you will be needing when the time comes. Credit: Getty Images.
While enrolling in an aged care facility may be the best option for some seniors and their families, there are a number of things to consider when making the decision to move yourself or a loved one into an aged care home
A number of professional aged care workers and people who have moved their parents to homes encouraged those who are looking to move into assisted living facilities to plan ahead and opt for at-home care first as long as they are still capable of doing so.
Reddit user @Alvie8 shared her experience on how she handled and arranged her parents' at-home care needs before she moved them into an aged care facility.
The Reddit user claimed that she and her father took care of her mum at their home during the onset of her dementia for seven years before moving her into a dementia-specific ward. Her father soon followed as he started deteriorating due to Alzheimer’s disease.
The general at-home care financing advice that she gave are as follows:
- Check if you have the appropriate level of HCP funding in order to receive adequate care from service providers. Your family should supplement the care that you receive.
- If you can still be independent at home but your family can't provide you supplemental care due to personal reasons and your assessed package level can't cover your needs, phone MyAgedCare at 1800 200 422 to have your package reassessed. You may also plead your case for you to receive the correct HCP level.
- Have a talk with your family and loved ones about the process. Planning ahead and doing research before signing up for aged care facilities will help you and your family get in the right mindset and emotional state about the move.
"These days aged care is for people that require a lot more care like a palliative, complex care or dementia cases. It should be the last choice, it exists for a reason but it's not much fun. However, it's difficult when one spouse is declining and they want to stay together. Some facilities offer independent living on the same campus. If your father starts declining quickly they may need to consider living apart," she said.
Another Reddit user, @CaptainDetritus, suggested having an ACAP assessment so you can be assisted further on your condition.
"First steps are to get an ACAP assessment, ask your doctors for information and assistance- they may also be able to put you in contact with social workers who know the system and can help you navigate it. Also, contact their council- many councils have subsidies and programs to provide in-home help that might be helpful until you can get them into appropriate care," he said.
For those who are looking to be assessed, please visit this link.
"It's difficult to give advice without an assessment. If they're generally getting by OK, an in-home community care worker might be enough. Do this for as long as it's suitable. Beyond that, an independent living apartment/unit could suit them. That's got a financial decision attached to it though."
Meanwhile, a legal expert said that those who are still legally capable of securing an advanced health directive should secure the assistance package as diseases like dementia and Alzheimer's can rapidly affect you, ensuring that you can be provided with care without struggling to put things together when you need them.
He also suggested to those seeking to move into an aged care facility who are living alone or are not accompanied by a loved one to put your requests in writing on which homes to avoid.
"Explicitly state it in writing when making an Enduring Power of Attorney and/or Guardianship document. Add a phrase saying you do not want them," he wrote.
Financing
It can’t be denied that finances can play a critical role in making this important life decision. Credit: Getty Images.
Let’s be honest, one of the major factors that we consider when planning this important life decision is the cost that comes with it.
One user advised: “The sector is fairly bound up with regulations regarding finances. I recommend looking into financial advice services as most big firms have a specialist on the elder transition to nursing homes."
So, for those who are looking to get themselves assessed, we highly encourage you to visit MyAgedCare’s website.
A number of users said that checking with the website allows you to avoid scams and swindlers, securing your finances for your possible enrolment to an aged care facility.
An aged care worker also shared an overview of the expenses should you not get financial assistance from your healthcare package.
She said: “[It] costs 80 or 85% of their pension each week for a fully subsidised spot - this is to pay for the carers, cleaners, food, all staff, nurses etc. If your folks' wealth is over the threshold then it can cost a lot more. I've seen weekly bills of $2000+ so they must have a level of wealth that means she doesn't get so much (any?) subsidy. With medications, this can see their pension not quite cover their costs so you will have to tip in potentially for those bills and clothes etc if they don't have adequate savings."
Narrowing your choices
Before we share some of the advice given by those who work in the industry or have personally gone through the process of moving their parents to a facility, we would like to reiterate that the information that we are about to share with you is provided by the aforementioned parties. We are not affiliated with any aged care facility.
A number of Reddit users voiced their opinion on which type of aged care home you should choose.
User @Ingeegoodbee advised against "retirement villages" and other "for-profit" private corporations.
"Avoid for-profit operators at all costs. They're universally awful," he said.
Another person backed the claim, saying that they can attest to it and admitting that they have not seen a single elderly person in his neighbourhood despite the fact that a private retirement home is operating in the area.
It was also said that nursing homes — while they are different to retirement villages — should also be avoided, with some labelling them as a “trap”.
Meanwhile, another user suggested: "Read the aged care quality and safety reports. The reviews are easily accessible online, helping you weed out the homes that have bad reviews."
The reports can be accessed through this website.
Additionally, @Alvie8 listed the suggestions that she herself followed before choosing a facility for her parents:
- Ask your family to talk to counselling centres such as Alzheimer's Australia for guidance on how they can handle your condition and direct you to facilities that could meet your needs.
- When choosing a facility, make sure you do further research than what is advertised. Also, note that expensive facilities don't always equate to quality.
- When narrowing your list of potential homes please refer to the Compliance Checker on the MyAgedCare website.
Prospecting and further research on aged care facilities
It is important to visit the facilities and “get a feel” for them before deciding which home you will be moving into. Credit: Getty Images.
According to an aged care worker, the general rule of thumb when researching the best aged care facility is “to visit the place first and go beyond the information that the receptionist provides”.
“Observe the residents and the staff's interactions with them and your loved ones accompanying you to get an idea of how they will treat you if you become a resident there,” she said.
“Also, try to ask if you can visit a vacant room and get a feel for it.”
Some of the questions that you should ask the facility include the following:
- What is the food menu like?
- When are meals served?
- What is the wake-up and grooming routine before breakfast?
- How do they deal with specific dietary needs ie. diabetics?
- How many staff per resident in dementia-specific and general wards?
- Will you actually receive the services that you need for the full duration required?
- Will the facility allow your preferred GP to visit/consult you as their primary doctor?
Other users who claimed to have done the task said that it is important to get a “feel of the place” other than just asking questions.
We listed the tips and criteria that the users provided when doing your personal inspection below:
- When visiting the facility, one trick is to talk with residents at the parking lot once the lunch service has concluded. The area and timeslot allow residents to speak openly with you during this time as some of them who are visited by their family during lunch bid goodbye to their loved ones who are leaving the facility.
- Pay attention to the attitude of staff to visitors and residents.
- Guide questions for evaluating the facility and staff:
- Do they check on the comfort and needs of residents?.
- Do they genuinely engage and seem to care for the residents?
- How are visitors treated - genuine versus fake?
- How do the staff speak to each other? Is there respect?
- Do they sound like they’re time-strapped, delayed or procrastinate with resident requests (toileting or drinking water)?
- Are the residents humanised or left to their own devices like pot plants?
- Do they look miserable or happy?
- Do they look combed, washed and well-presented or do they appear unkempt?
- Do they have food stains on their faces or clothes?.
- Are wheelchairs clean or grubby?
- Does the facility smell?
- Do residents smell? Is anyone sitting there with snot dribbling down their face, or worse faeces or wee down their leg?
- Do you have a good gut instinct about the place?
- Does the place have a happy caring vibe despite the decor looking outdated?
- Is the place run down with staff who don’t seem to care and the residents appear depressed?
- Do the staff appear honest or evasive about health-related questions? (Please see questions below).
- Are they transparent about allied health services?
Additionally, @loiscl said that you should do a "nose test" when you visit a facility to assess if the air “smells fresh”.
The Reddit user said that a fresh-smelling facility is a good indicator that it is well-kept and hygienic.
Another user backed the advice, saying that doing a sniff test allows you to sense if they use disinfectant.
"No poop or ammonia or unwashed bodies," she said.
“Get a feel of the facility is well-staffed, clean, and sunny.”
Another person advised that you should consider the presence of "amenities" for the visitors of the residential care.
The Reddit user said that the aged care home where her mum stays has gardens and "High Tea" activities where they can invite their families to enjoy with them.
"Drop-in unexpectedly at different times on different days. They like to put in a show of how caring the staff is while they have planned visitors," he said.
Meanwhile, others emphasised the importance of checking the healthcare that the facility can provide.
One person recommended: “Ask your family GP if they are willing to visit you regularly in the facility. If they refuse to provide this service, try to look for a GP you can trust to do your checkups at the facility.”
If you can't find a GP, ask the facility if they offer respite care — as many of these homes offer the service “with a view to permanent placement” — and assure that they can guarantee you a permanent placement at the end of the respite period.
Advice for seniors who are moving to aged care with their partners
Some seniors move into facilities with their partners. Credit: Getty Images.
It was said that if you and your partner are both going to aged care, it's better to sign up in the same facility at the same time so you can have a better experience adjusting to your new environment.
Additionally, for those who are moving to a home with their partners, it is advisable to ask if you and your partner can share the same room. Sharing the same room can allow you to have a support system while getting used to the facility.
One aged care worker, however, argued that you might have a talk with your loved ones about the room assignments as some situations may not be healthy for you, especially if your partner is already experiencing symptoms of dementia.
"Environment plays a big role with dementia care and dementia-specific care has better staff ratios to cater to additional supervision," she said.
"Getting roomed together may work for a while, but just know it often becomes an issue that requires them to have separate rooms as your dad will not recognise the stranger in his room eventually (which will devastate your mum) and before that he will place care demands on your mum beyond her capability and may actually cause her to deteriorate from the stress of sharing with him at some stage."
"Speak to your potential venues about these issues and seek out information regarding that and the longer-term implications and flexibility of transfers etc (bonds etc) if you start them out sharing a room If possible try gets a venue with scope to transfer him to a dementia-specific wing within the same facility down the line when or if needed."
There you have it, folks! We hope these tips can help you plan ahead in case the time comes that you will be needing assisted care.
.png){kind=icon}
