Take a note of 10 key questions to ask a prospective care provider.
Are you planning to meet with potential care providers? Wondering what questions to ask?
As much as you should trust your instincts when talking with care providers, it’s also useful to have an outline of key information you want to capture.
We’ve prepared a simple set of 10 questions you can ask while visiting care homes, and 10 questions you can ask while talking with domiciliary care providers, who support you in your home.
You may find it useful to bring a copy of these questions along to your meeting, and to add your own personal questions in advance.
A great relationship of care is grounded in transparency and trust, so make the most of this opportunity to get to know the provider. You should also request specific examples as much as possible, ideally within a recent timeframe.
10 questions for care providers at care homes
- What is your visitor policy?
- What types of activities are available?
- Can we specify a visiting GP?
- Are family members allowed to stay overnight?
- Are pets allowed to visit or stay?
- What types of food are offered each week?
- What kinds of days out do you offer?
- Can residents bring personal furniture?
- What security procedures are in place?
- How do you handle complaints?
10 questions for domiciliary care providers
- How flexible is your care package?
- What are the standard daily working hours?
- Do you provide care 365 days of the year?
- Can you help with shopping, housework and laundry?
- Can you arrange days out?
- Do you help with pets?
- How long can carers spend with each client per week?
- Can you assist with medication?
- What standards of training do you have?
- How do you handle complaints?
Find care costs in your area
If you are looking for care, Care Sourcer offers a free searchable directory of local care agencies. If you need care urgently, we also have a team of care experts who are available by telephone to help guide you through the process.
The next step in selecting your care provider
If you haven’t already, now’s the time to arrange a care needs assessment. This is absolutely critical, particularly if you want to also apply for local authority funding to cover your care home costs or domiciliary care fees.
The care needs assessment will help you understand whether your care needs can be managed at home, or whether a care home is more appropriate.
Many criteria will factor into your decisions about care, but remember to keep the person requiring care at the heart of the process. Whenever possible, listen, dialogue and compare options together. Remember that safety and wellbeing should always be your intended goal.