Care Homes

Mon, Jul 6 2009

Are you, or do you know someone who is thinking of moving into a Care Home? Several points should be considered when choosing a home, some general and some specific to Spain. But maybe the first thing is to look at the alternatives, such as having nursing help, or simply a trained carer to look after you. Perhaps the best solution for you is to return to your country of origin. If you require any help or advice on these points do ring our telephone help lines for information about various care homes in the Province of Malaga. What we cannot do is recommend any particular home. Something worth considering is to ask a friend or acquaintance who has had experience of being actually in a Care Home. This information could be useful when you are making a decision to have this kind of care, or indeed for any other form of help in the home.

The distinction between different types of Care Home (Residential, Nursing, Specialised) is not very clear-cut in Spain. We suggest that it is necessary to consider a number of points when choosing a home. To help you make an informed decision arrange to visit a home after you have considered the following points which are some of many more contained in our fact sheet obtainable from Age Care Association:

Location

Is the home near where you want to be? Is public transport available?

Care

Does the home offer suitable care for your needs? What about future needs – wheelchair, incontinence, mental confusion, terminally ill?

Accommodation

Does the home look comfortable and inviting? Does it smell fresh? Is it clean?

Facilities

Are there a variety of activities and outings available? Is sufficient medical help available?

Catering

Is there a choice of menu? Are special diets catered for? Is the choice of food interesting, varied and good quality?

Daily living

Do you know any of the existing residents? Is there somewhere to see visitors in private? Who owns the home? Is it financially stable?

Special considerations for Spain

What nationalities are the current residents? Do the people who work in the care home speak English?

About Age Care Association

Age Care Association is a fully registered, non-profit making organisation staffed entirely by volunteers. Our Spanish registration number is 6282 – CIF – G92487602 (Registro de Asociaciones de Andalucia). The majority of our work is helping older British people living in the Province of Malaga, but we do not exclude other nationalities that speak English. We provide welfare information, practical support and two help lines (Telephones: 691761088, and 655903182). The Association also has a hospital and home visiting team. Other volunteers visit people in Care Homes when necessary. As part of our work we have repatriated some individuals to the UK, where there are more caring facilities and access to benefits unavailable in Spain. Some of our volunteers have had careers in nursing, education, psychology and other caring professions and are accustomed to listening in a sympathetic and kind manner. We work closely with the British Consulate, Royal British Legion, and branches of the International Lions.