Information and advice for residents and carers

Checklist for owners and managers

Choosing the home

• Do you provide complete and accessible information about the care home, including a full list of services and costs? Does the information pack include the statement of purpose, service user guide, brochures detailing services, payment terms and a statement of terms and conditions?
• Do you make clear the terms on which people can make use of personal budgets and direct payments, when using your services?
• Do you signpost sources of advocacy, as well as legal and financial information and advice?
• Do you encourage several initial visits by potential new residents, and/or families and carers to inform choice?

Arriving at the home

• Do you provide information about CQC’s fundamental standards, which you must meet; do you display your most recent CQC rating?
• Do you encourage comments and complaints, and provide a simple leaflet about your complaints procedure to residents and their carers? Is it clear, easy to understand and responsive?
• Do you let people know about their rights, and signpost useful leaflets or websites? Are friends and families told about their rights to visit, and encouraged to do so?

The Relatives and Residents Association has published a useful summary of the rights of care home residents.

In the home

• New residents should be fully informed about all the services the home has to offer at their initial needs assessment.
• At the same time, you must start the process of understanding their particular ambitions and interests, skills and capacities, likes and dislikes. Preferences must be recorded, communicated to all levels of staff, and added to as the resident settles in.
• Are you confident that people living in your home have access to all the information and advice they need to make informed decisions?
• Do residents have access to advocacy services?
• People experiencing dementia must not be excluded from the possibility of expressing preferences, and giving feedback.

The Alzheimer’s Society’s This is me is a tool which people with dementia can use to let health and care workers know about their needs, interests and preferences.

A technique called Dementia Care Mapping has been found effective in helping staff to achieve and maintain person-centred care for people with dementia.